Gaza medic realizes he's carrying his own mother’s body, killed by an Israeli airstrike
Sophia teen stabbed to death by 11-yr-old friend
Enmore man mistaken for thief abducted, brutally beaten
Hess hails growing oil production
United States oil company, Hess Corporation hasreleasedestimatedresults onitsoperationsforthethird quarterof2024(Q3of2024), which places a spotlight on the company's increased oil productioninGuyana,where Hess holds a 30% interest in theprolificStabroekBlock.
On Wednesday, the company showcased its financial results of a net income of US$498 million, or $1.62 per share. On an adjustedbasis,Hessreported a net income of US$660 million,or$2.14pershare,in the third quarter of 2024.
“The increase in adjusted after-tax earnings compared with the prior-year quarter primarily reflects higher production volumes, partially offset by lower realized selling prices in the third quarter of 2024,” the companysaid.
In relation to Guyana, Hess reported that net
production from its operations reached 170,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) up 57% from 108,000 bopd in the same period last year Notably, the company's overall net production in the third quarter rose to 461,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), up 17% from 395,000 boepd in 2023.This increase, the company said is, “primarily due to higher productioninGuyana.”
For this quarter, Hess expects net production to be intherangeof475,000boepd
to 485,000 boepd, primarily reflecting recovery from downtimeinthethirdquarter at Guyana and Southeast Asia.
The company noted that production and exploration expenditureisexpectedtobe approximately US$4 9 billion, up from previous guidance of US$4.2 billion.
Hess said this reflects the decision to accelerate the purchaseoftheLizaDestiny and Prosperity floating production, storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs) from SBM Offshore in this quarter instead of in 2025. Thispublicationhadreported that ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), the operator of the Stabroek Block is looking to purchase
Stabroek
Back in 2023, it was announcedthatAmericanoil giant, Chevron will be acquiring Hess for US$53 billion; which Hess shareholders approved back in May While the U S Federal Trade Commission allowed Chevron's purchase ofHessCorporation,thedeal stillneedtoclearachallenge byExxonMobilandCNOOC Limited, Hess's partners in a Guyana joint venture, who claimarightoffirstrefusalto any sale of Hess's Guyana assets, the prize in the proposed merger A threejudgearbitrationpanelisdue to consider the case next May
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OnthisDiwaliholidayinGuyana,ourhopeisfor
the light of Diwali to shine throughout this belovedcountryofours,andtogracethehearts ofboththosebelievingintheidealsofthemoment,aswell asthoseoutsideofitstouch.
Diwali ushers in flickering, then brightening, last lingering comforting light amidst the deep, oftentimes impenetrable, darkness that surrounds this place of so many riches. Every man could be an oil producer, every woman and child, a miner of some element of our vast mineral riches, and all a partaker and beneficiary in what weownbecauseitbelongstous,thepeople.
Notjustonesegmentofthepeople,notonlythealready rich people, but all the people, from poor to disliked, including those disowned and discarded to the edges to lamenttheirfate.
Whenwe,thecitizens,intheexpanseofourdiversity, ourhistory,andallofourmanystories,canbeinspiredto suchanindividualandcommunalandnational,eventribal, state,thenthelightofDiwaliisshiningthrough. Whether believer or not, notwithstanding if one is an observer, or follower,orsupporterornot,thelightofDiwalishouldstill stirinsideofusandshinefromus.
ItismorethanthelightofDiwali,foritisthelightof timelessandprofoundtruths. Itisthelightoflifeitself,and the brotherhood that is impressed within us, as we contemplate these solemn days of Diwali and Christmas, Easter, an Eid, the birthday of a Prophet, the memorial of oneoranotherholymanorwoman,whomadeadifference intheirtimeandtheirworld,inthattheychangeditforthe better
Thisisourprayerandourpleathatwelayatthefeetof all Guyanese, be they Hindu, or Muslim, or Christian, or BahaiandBuddhistorB’naiBirth. Forunderthecolourof theskinthatgoesonlysodeep,thereistherichnessofthe same human fusion, inclusive of blood, enzymes, chromosomes, and the cells that flutter and flourish to make life what it is. It is the lifeblood of oxygen and the oxygen in the blood that contributesto each of us pulsing with the breath of life, as powered by each succeeding heartbeat.
Indeed,itiswisetothinkbroadlyandmakemanyplans for oil and gold, but not a drop of the former, nor a pennyweight of the latter can be inserted in our veins and helpustoliveanhourlonger
This is why our invitation is extended first to the staunch believers in the ideals of Diwali, and the significance of the victory that its lights have come to project.
For them to lead the way in being of and for what is instilledandrepresentedbythatlight. Eachofthem,and allofus,canthenbethekindofcitizenandpresenceinthis society that is more than momentary holiday, passing celebration,butoflivingthelessonsthatcoursethroughthe foundationsandtraditionsofDiwali.
Ofthis,weareclear:thereisdarknessinthicklayersin Guyana. Theveilsthatarecraftedtocoverthatover,only add deeper, greater darkness to existing darkness. As all believersinalmostallpersuasionsarewellaware,darkness andevilaretwinsthatwalkhandinhand,andbeyondthe usual24/7cycle.
Some of those who speak the loudest about days like Diwali and Eid and Christmas are among the first in the darkened fields that have become the ongoing Guyanese norm. Proclaiming and preaching about what is right is a goodfirststeptowardswhatisaboutthelight. Butifthere are no supporting deeds, there is an absence of corroborating practices, then the speaking and posturing arethefrailestofshallowshadows.
Guyananeedsmorethanthat;itcouldusemuchmore thanwhatwehavehad. Lettherebelight. Letitshineon andbeyondDiwali.
DEAREDITOR
, Prior to the 2020 elections,thePPPnominated commissioner of GECOM, RobesonBenn,calledforthe ethnic balancing of GECOM‘sstaff.
After the elections, his replacement, Clement Rohee, echoed the same sentiment.
Their overtly expressed concern is ethnic balance, which is intended to camouflage their objective totakepoliticalcontrolofthe Commission; and their disregard for merit-based employmentpractices.
In reality, their pronouncements have been acteduponwiththeremoval of Lowenfield, Myers, Hetsberger, Eastman, and Dazzel, all African Guyanese under various guises, as opposed to the treatment of Gocool Boodoo, who in 2006 fraudulently awarded an AFCconstituencyseattothe PPP/C,andin2011tabled,at the Commission, a fraudulent elections report. If that attempted fraud had notbeendetected,thePPP/C would have fraudulently
obtained the majority in Parliament. Yet, absolutely no action was taken against Boodoo.
He was retained in the position of Chief Elections Officer until his contract came to an end. However, some of the African Guyanese mentioned above wereremovedonthebasisof allegations and dragged before the courts. In effect, the PPP embarked on the capture of GECOM in pursuit of Jagan‘s earlier declaration that the PPP having attained legislative power were devoid of administrative power, becauseofthepredominance of African Guyanese in the publicsector
While, degutting GECOM of African Guyanese, the PPP through its GECOM commissioners and the facilitation of the chairperson has embarked on the corrupt replacement of those removed, and the filling of vacancies, with pro-PPPIndo-Guyaneseand others who are handpicked bythePPP
The current Chief Elections Officer was
preferred for the position althoughhedidnothavethe required experience The Deputy was similarly preferred, although he too did not have the mandated years of experience. Similar double standards have been adoptedinthePPP‘squestto controlGECOMthroughthe installationoftheirpreferred candidates to the senior positions.
This was recently
manifested when their preferredpersonswithlesser qualifications and experience; and fewer skills sets were selected to fill the positions of Civic and Voter Education Manager and LogisticsManager In effect, GECOM‘s employment practice has been reduced to a voting process, in which each side of the divide votes for their candidatesofchoicewiththe chairpersoncomplementing, unswervingly, the PPP nominated commissioners withhervote.
Itshouldbenotedthatthe Commission has delegated i t s c o n s t i t u t i o n a l responsibility for the employmentofjuniorstaffto
the Chief Elections Officer, who pursues practices similar to those outlined above.
The malpractices at GECOM are a daily vindication of all of the reports of the Observer Missionsasof2006.
All of the reports called for the reform of GECOM, and specifically mentioned t h e n e e d f o r t h e reconstituting of its membership with the aim of establishing a professional andimpartialcommission.
The rejection of the call for GECOM to engage a professional panel to conduct its recruitment process, clearly serves the interestofthosewhowishto establish their control over GECOMasmuchastheyare doing the same across the entirepublicsectorandeven t h e c i v i l s o c i e t y organizations.
The time for meaningful reformisnow
Yourstruly DesmondTrotman CharlesCorbin VincentAlexander G E C O M Commissioners
PM Phillips posited that the energy sector is vital to the country’s development
In a move towards solving the nagging blackouts, Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d), Mark Phillips who is responsible for the energy sector has vowed to reduce or end the blackouts which have wreaked havoc on the residents throughout the country
The PM remarked that much of the problems with Guyana Power and Light (GPL) were inherited from the previous government which did very little to maintain and upgrade the electric grids to meet the growing demands of the massivedevelopmentacross thecountry
However, Prime MinisterPhillipsisadamant that he will leave no stone unturned and that every actionwillbetakentobring anendtotheblackouts.With his extensive military background and training, and as the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), PM Phillips is not only authentic, but he has a reputationtosolveproblems in the army and he has broughtthosethoughtfuland insightful skills to his leadership role in the government. He is action
driven,sincereandgenuine.
PrimeMinisterPhillipps
has reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to transform
the nation’s power infrastructure, boost its generation capacity and improve its service delivery to the citizens of Guyana. WithsupportfromPresident Dr Irfaan Ali and echoing Vice President Dr Bharat
Jagdeo, PM Phillips underscored the fact that extensive work is currently
underway on GPL
t r
ms including the installation of additional generators to enhancethepowercompany
o v e r a l l c a p a c i t y, functionality and efficiency and hence the reduction of
blackouts With the completion of the gas to shore project, Brigadier Phillips told the nation that blackouts will be a thing of the past and that the electrical bill of the consumers will be vastly reduced.
According to Brigadier Phillips, the energy sector, particularly GPL is vital to the nation’s infrastructural development strategies throughout the country. It is the foundation upon which
the country’s economic prosperity, social progress, and the wellbeing of the people depend on He acknowledged that without theenergysector,andinthis case GPL, there will be no substantive development and progress will be stalled, the poor will suffer PM Phillipspositedthatoverthe past four years, tremendous improvementhasbeenmade
totheelectricalgridtomake it more efficient to stem the blackout woes that have plagued the country for decades.
However, to his credibilityandunlikeothers, Prime Minister Phillips was honesttoadmitthatthereare somemajorchallengesatall levelsofGPLsupplysystem fromfuelallocationtoline (Continuedonpage06)
DEAREDITOR, Iamjustfollowingupon my previous letter concerning the Cornelia Ida CricketGround.Iamhappy to inform that the ground was mowed but issues remain.
1- There is no fence around the perimeter of the actualgroundsoanimalscan step over the small drainage gutterthatisthere.
2-Nocontroltotheuseof the ground, it’s a free for all andit’snotfairforothersto be using it indiscriminately, namely playing softball on the cricket pitch when it rainsaswellasfootball.
Most times, the people involved in these activities are confrontational, so to
avoid any incidents the cricketers refrain because they are threatened with physicalharm.
On behalf of the cricket club, I am kindly asking the authorities/ authority concerned to provide a fence around the actualgroundandprobablya booking system for the use oftheground.
As it is now, there’s no cricket pitchbecauseof the above reasons so still not accessibletothecricketers.
Thanks for publishing my previous letter promptly and hope this one as well Thank you for providingmespace
Regards Zaheer
Women’s rights took a giant step forward this past weekwiththeculminationof twoseminalevents.First,the UN Committee on the E l i m i n a t i o n o f Discrimination (CEDAW) issuedarecommendationfor 50:50 parity measures for women’s participation in decision-making systems, shifting the Beijing 1995 emphasis from equity to parity (equality) for women indecision-makingsystems. Second, the Vatican (Papal) Summit2024cametoanend in Rome with a call for permitting women to play a leadership role in the CatholicChurch.
TheCatholicChurchisa bastion for gender inequity, in centuries-old policy of limiting leadership roles for men only The decision this weekend by the 2024 VaticanSummitisagenuine example of the glass-ceiling
being shattered The decision is bold, even relatively transformative, butnotnearlyenough.
The decision remained silent on permitting women
to serve as priests, preserving this leadership role as an all-male affair Even for women serving as deacons, the Summit deferred again to formalize women as deacons and insisted that further discernment is required
ThisisastainontheCatholic Church as it chooses to remain “behind the times”, continuing to deny women theirGod-givenrights.
TheSummitwastheend
of a four-year consultation aimed at gauging the views of every church-going Catholic globally, and Pope Francis opened up the summit which is usually a bishops’conferencetosome lay people, including 60 women(16%)of368voting delegates.All of the summit delegates voted on each of 151 proposals. Although all proposalswerepassedbythe requiredtwo-thirdsmajority, the most “no” votes were given to the proposal about women assuming more leadership roles in the Church, which has an allmale clergy That the Summitapprovedwomenin leadership role in the Catholic Church is still a giant leap forward, even if theCatholicChurchremains a bastion of discrimination againstwomen. Itisatimid step, but a step forward, in stark contrast with the bold movebyCEDAWatits89th Sessionlastweek.
As Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Geneva, I attended the 89th
E
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) meeting heldatthePalaisdeNations
Building in Geneva, Switzerland, including its final meeting of the session which was held on October 25, 2024. CEDAW’s 89th session concluded with the launching of its landmark d
(GR40). The new CEDAW Recommendation marks a
milestone event in the long struggle for women and genderequality
Although the launching of GR 40 was a low-key event,itaddsoneofthemost consequential legal guidelines for women rights at the global, regional and nationallevels.Theadoption of GR40 by CEDAW represents a paradigm shift in the struggle for women’s representation in decisionmakingsystemsatalllevels. GR40 is a new legal framework, rooted in the binding standards of one of thewidestratifiedtreaties.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was adopted in 1979 by the UN GeneralAssembly Itisoften describedasaninternational bill of rights for women. Consistingofapreambleand 30 articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination
against women and sets up anagendafornationalaction to end such discrimination.
Guyana ratified the ConventioninJuly1980.
One of the earliest successes in the struggle for women’s rights was the Beijing Platform of Action, 1995 which was adopted at the 4th Conference on Women in Beijing The Beijing Platform of Action followed preparatory work done through the Women Conferences that preceded it–the Mexico Conference (1975), the Copenhagen Conference (1980) and the Nairobi Conference (1985). GR40 builds on the Beijing PlatformofAction,1995.In 2025, the global family will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform. While the Beijing Platform 1995 sought to achieve equity, GR40 seeks to achieve parity Just as Guyana was present at the
launching of GR40, Guyana was actively present in Beijing,withateamthatwas ledbyMrs.JanetJagan. The Beijing Platform mandated a minimum of 30%participationbywomen in national decision-making systems While progress mustbeacknowledged,most countries have not yet achieved the 30% minimum participation of women in decision making systems as the Beijing Platform of Action urged. In fact, there arestill107countriesaround the world which have never had a woman head-of-state, including the United States ofAmerica.TheUSthisyear hasanopportunitytochange this dispensation when the people choose their presidentinaNovember5th election. Nine CARICOM countries have never had a woman head-of-state. Six CARICOM countries have hadwomenasheads-of-state
- Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago,DominicaandHaiti.
Even though most countriesareyettomeetthe Beijing 30% standard and even though most countries appear off-track to meet the SDGs for women, GR40 mandatesequalparticipation and power through 50:50 gender parity permanent measures at both national and international levels, a clarion call for full equality, withgenderparityacrossall decision-makingarenas.The new guidance, emphasizing the importance of 50-50 representation, seeks to ensure that women and girls haveequalaccesstorolesin public and private sectors, economic governance, and digital spaces, marking a significant shift from previous targets of 30% representation, originally establishedbytheBeijing (Continuedonpage06)
AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip -
A Palestinian ambulance worker made a horrific discovery when the bloody sheet was lifted: The corpse onthestretcherwashisown mother, killed by an Israeli airstrike Wednesday in centralGaza.
“Oh God, I swear — she’s my mother! I didn’t know it was her!” Abed Bardini sobbed as he leaned over his mother, Samira, cradling her head in his arms. Fellow Red Crescent medicstriedtoconsolehim.
B a r d i n i h a d unknowingly sat in the ambulance beside her body, wrapped in a white sheet stained dark with blood, as the vehicle bounced across broken roads for about 2 kilometers (1 2 miles) toward Al-Aqsa Martyrs
Threepeoplewerekilled and at least 10 wounded by the Israeli strike on a car in Maghazi refugee camp, according to Palestinian health officials and AssociatedPressjournalists. Health officials at the hospitalsaidtwoofthedead were men sitting in the vehicle, and the blast had fatally injured 61-year-old Samira Bardini as she stood nearby AbedBardiniwasinone of two ambulances dispatched to the scene Back at the hospital, he unloaded the stretcher with practiced professionalism, squinting into the late afternoonsunashewheeled
the body across the hospital courtyard.
Inside, medical staff pulled back the blanket to check for signs of life, and Bardini’sstrengthcollapsed.
Later, his tears exhausted, he sat in the morgue beside Samira’s body with his head in his hands,comfortedbyhisRed Crescentcolleagues.
They held a funeral prayer over her body in the parking lot, then Bardini personally helped carry the body into an ambulance for burial.
A spokesperson for the Israeli military did not immediately comment on thestrike.
Israel says it carries out
precise strikes in Gaza targeting Palestinian militants and tries to avoid harming civilians. But the strikesoftenkillwomenand children.
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted around 250 in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the war Israel’s retaliatory war in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who do not say how many were combatants but say more than half were womenandchildren.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said Wednesday that 102 deaths were recorded over thepast24hours.
Amid repeated calls by citizens and other stakeholders for a renegotiationofthelopsided ExxonMobilcontract,which
his government has stubbornly resisted, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo
who is also General Secretary of the ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) onWednesday sought toruleoutanymovetowards deciding the issue via a referendum at next year's generalelections.
A referendum is a general vote by the electorate on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision. Jagdeo was asked the question by Journalist Denis Chabrol during his weekly news conferencetowhichhesaid, political parties contesting the polls should state their positions on the matter and let the electorate decide if they want such a party to g o v e r n G u y a n a
Additionally, Jagdeo believes that conducting a referendumatthesametime of the elections could complicate matters A number of developed and developingcountriesallover the world have held referendums at the same time as national elections. These include the United States.
Several papers on the subjectsuggestthatthemost obvious practical advantage of arranging the two events simultaneously is the considerable cost savings thatcanbemade,sinceballot papers can be distributed at the same time, the same voters' lists can be used. Further, polling place personnel can be employed once instead of twice, voter informationpackagescanbe put together with information about both events and postage can be saved by sending it out only once.Itisalsoplausiblethat holdingsimultaneousevents w o u l d e n c o u r a g e governments and electoral bodies to harmonise legislation and procedures. Referendums enhanced democracy by giving voters greater opportunities for involvement.
Chabrol asked Jagdeo: “for instance in the Cayman Islands, they are putting to referendum alongside their upcoming elections whether they should be constructing pierstoaccommodatelarger cruise ships. So I am just giving you that as a slight background so to speak, in light of the debate about the need to renegotiate the Exxon contract would your government or party be inclined to put that to a
referendumaswell?”
Jagdeo responded: “The referendum again, this is a matter that has to be discussed and debated on…thisissuewhetherthere would be a referendum so you get yes from the referendum…ummm…beca useChristopherdidasuspect survey, nobody pays attention to these suspect surveys, so the referendum couldyieldthis.”
He explained that as leader of the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C),hedoesnotwantto complicate the 2025 electoralprocess.According tohim,thereisalsothebelief thattheoppositionwouldgo in favour of the referendum to complicate the process.
“Citizens of Guyana are
sensibleenoughtochooseat the upcoming elections, the political party with a plan and they would be able to hear from them whether or not the party is in favour of renegotiation, and if it can actually be implemented.”
Going back to the 2020 election period, he told reporters that his party was veryclearthatwhentheygot intogovernment,theywould not renegotiate the contract and yet they got the support ofallthecitizenswhovoted forthembecausetheyareof the opinion that the PPPis a very serious party. He reasoned that “we showed that we can get more out of the contract that I explained in the past, we can get significantly more benefits forthepeopleofthiscountry The gas-to-energy project alone is US$250M per year in savings to the population. The Local Content Law brings in US$700M of business to people not revenue and so we are gettingmoreandwebelieve thatwedidn'thavetodothis, it gets you caught up in a whole range of issues that cankillourmomentum.”
TheVPsaiditwasnothis party's intention to have any of this happen and it did not affect the support received, therefore he believes the focusshouldbesolelyonthe 2025 elections, as adding other aspects to the ballot given that there should be around 14-20 political parties contesting, will furthercomplicatetheentire process and this should be avoided. Noting too that he cannot make a decision on whether the issue could be taken to a referendum Jagdeo said: “anything on a particular matter has to be debated openly, not for the head of a political party or a
member of the cabinet to pronounce on it just like that… on any issue… and it must be debated fully, and thenifthereisanappropriate timeforthat,thatbedonein the future,” he argued. “At the upcoming elections a
government with a manifestowillbechosenand this choice is for the people to make on which political partytheythinkiscapableof keeping their promises and are serious to move Guyana forward. “Not because one country does a referendum onpiers,wehavetogodown thatroute.Sothat'swhatIam telling you as the head of a political party, I don't want 2025 elections to be complicated with side roads,”Jagdeoargued.
Newsurvey
The question on the referendumcomesdaysafter Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram released findings of a survey which s h o w e d t h a t a n overwhelming number of Guyaneseareinsupportofa renegotiated oil contract between the Government of Guyana (GoG) and American oil super major, ExxonMobil Since the terms of the 2016 deal were made public, citizens have been calling on the government to engage the c o n t r a c t o r f o r a renegotiation These calls have however been shut down by politicians, with some even describing citizens as “low lives” for demandingmoreoutoftheir resources Ram in his column'EveryMan,Woman andChildMustBecomeOilMinded' published last Friday by Stabroek News said the recent survey provides compelling evidence that the Government's "sanctity of contract" position is at odds with public sentiment. The survey, conducted by Ram and McRae, using the Google Forms platform attracted135responsesfrom a diverse group of respondents including professionals, academics, studentsandcitizens.
In revealing statistics associated with the survey, Ram explained, “An overwhelming 94% of respondents believe the Government should seek to amendthecurrentPetroleum Agreement, with only 6% either opposed or unsure.”
The lawyer reasoned that this stark statistics alone should give pause to those who continue to defend the statusquoofthelopsidedoil deal. “The survey revealed that only 3 8% of respondents were satisfied with the existing provisions of the Agreement The remaining 96.2% identified multiple areas requiring modification,”headded.
A whopping 83.2% of participants said they want theroyaltyraterevisedwhile 79.4% called for changes to tax payment arrangements. Presently, Guyana receives 2% royalty from Exxon on all petroleum produced and sold, whereas Exxon and its contractors are not required topaytaxes.
To this end, the survey found that 66 4% seek modifications to tax certificates; 66.4% want the revenue guarantee revised and another 61.8% support ring-fencingprovisions.The GoG has not implemented a ring-fencing provision to prevent Exxon from using revenue from one field to developanother Inthisway, Guyana's share of profits is significantly reduced until allcostshavebeenrecovered by Exxon and its CoVenturers.
ObstaclestoChange
The survey also delved into the views of the participants on what they considerasthekeyobstacles to renegotiation A resounding 80.3% of the respondentscitedthelackof political will, while 53% believe there is fear of potential economic repercussions. Ram and McRae's survey also found that 44.7% of citizens believe diplomatic concerns are another humbug to renegotiation.
Some 37.9% are of the view that legal government may be faced with legal constraints In his conclusion, Ram told readers of his weekly column, “The survey results paintaclearpicture:thereis strong public support for renegotiating the 2016 Petroleum Agreement. The current"sanctityofcontract" stance by the Government which had promised to renegotiate the Agreement ap
untenableinthefaceofsuch overwhelming public sentimentforchange.”
There’s a troubling headline I came across recently, and, trust me, it wasn’t “Meteorite Misses Earth ” The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)hasreportedthat25 bodieshavebeenlyinginits mortuary, presumably abandoned These aren’t people who tragically lost their wallets and simply couldn’taffordataxitotheir finalrestingplace.No,these are elderly people, dead, waiting for relatives who seem to have misplaced the calendar day when “picking up grandfather’s remains” wasmarked.
And, if the situation weren’tmacabreenough,it’s not only the dead being abandonedbutthelivingtoo. Sick, elderly patients are being taken to the hospital, perhaps with a lot of gentle encouragement from the people they loved and trusted,onlytobeleftbehind after treatment, forgotten like leftovers on the back shelfofthefridge.
Now, this isn’t something we can overlook with the tried-and-tested wisdomthat“thingswillget better.”Whentheabandoned dead start outnumbering the abandoned living, it’s time for a little self-reflection. What does it say about a society that leaves its weakest members alone in sterile, tiled rooms with nothing but the cold, fluorescent hum of indifference as company? Let’s be honest: it says a lot abouthowfarwe’vestrayed fromhumandecency
The problem isn’t just logistical—though I can’t imagine it’s easy for a hospital mortuary to deal with backlogged bodies. It’s themoralerosionthatshould keep us up at night. We’ve becomeasocietythatwould sooner tweet “Feeling blessed!”thanliftafingerto show actual compassion And when the people who spent their lives helping, loving,andraisinguscanbe neglected,it’smorethanjust a failing of individual families. It’s an issue that demands a structural solution.
Now,Iknowwhatyou’re thinking: “Not another call f o r g o v e r n m e n t intervention!” But hear me out.Ifthere’soneareawhere government intervention wouldn’t just be acceptable butabsolutelynecessary,it’s in creating a compassionate infrastructurefortheelderly and sick Look, we’re already paying for enough highways; why not direct some of that budget toward placesthatcanactuallymake adifference?
Consider this: small, manageable, dispersed homes for the aged. These wouldn’t be the gloomy institutions with bad lighting, TV reruns, and questionable soup. Instead, let’simaginecozy,dignified homes where seniors can livewithsomesemblanceof humanity These homes would be scattered throughout communities, not tucked away like we’re ashamed of them, allowing families to visit more
conveniently—assuming, of course, they can remember wheretheirrelativeslive.
A small, localized approach to aged care does wonders It creates jobs within communities, meaning local caregivers, nurses, and aides can work close to home. It eases the burden on hospitals, where wards for the elderly are often overwhelmed And, importantly, it preserves the dignity of the elderly by not treating them like social debris to be swept under the rugofsocietalneglect.
Now, let’s talk hospices for the sick I know, “hospice” sounds like a terrible word. You picture bleak rooms and long corridors, but that’s not the ideahere.Awell-runhospice can be a place where people receive compassionate care, wherethepainanddifficulty of illness are met with understanding, not just morphine. Hospices take on the burden of caring for those in their final stages, providing families with the support they need instead of expecting them to muddle throughasifthey’recapable of handling every physical, e m o t i o n a l , a n d psychological demand of terminalcare.
But what about the people who aren’t ready to be warehoused, even in the nicest of settings? Here’s whereathird,ratherobvious solution comes in: home care In a world with deliveryservicesforeatout, isitsoimpossibletoimagine aservicewheretrainednurse
Dem boys seh deh got a real mix-up down at de GPHC mortuary Dem dead people been lyin’ there so long now, it look like some ah dem wake up on de other side, scratchin’demghostheadsandwonderin’ whattimefamilygon’comean’carrydem home.Ahmean,afterall,howlongitgon’ tekfuhpickupyuhownfleshandblood?
One ah dem wake up and seh, “Wait, dehforgetIdehhere?”Deotheroneseh,“I dunno, but I ain’t see nobody come fuh you,an’Ibeenheresincelastyear!”Now dem spectres got all kinda theories. Some ah dem tink family nah get de memo, maybedenewsdidn’treachdeWhatsApp group yet. One ol’ lady seh, “Dem grandpickneytoobusyonTikTokfuhpick upGranrightnow.”
Isrealconfusionpondeotherside,yuh hear?Onechapwhodehwaitin’an’waitin’ seh,“Dewaydemtekkin’long,Imightas wellbookmespotatdecemeterymeself.”
aides make regular visits to the homes of those in need?
This way, elderly or sick individuals can continue living where they are most comfortable, where everything is familiar, and where, let’s face it, they can stillcontroltheremote.
These small steps aren’t just about easing burdens or passing responsibilities
They’re about reviving the spirit of empathy, breathing life back into a society that has, frankly, become a bit soulless. Doing nothing
means allowing this erosion ofcompassiontocontinue.It means more elderly people lyinginmortuarieswithouta single mourner It means more sick individuals left to fend for themselves when theymostneedhelp.Andina time when we’re so focused on advancement, on economic growth, on technology,havewestopped to ask if we’re advancing in thethingsthatmattermost?
So,let’sstopabandoning our elders and our sick to empty wards and unvisited
graves.Instead,let’screatea world where every life—right up to its very end—istreatedassomething worthy of dignity (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
Another one seh, “Look, by de time dem find me, I might as well come back an’ hauntdemhousefuhdedelay!”
Dem boys seh, dis might be de only place in de whole world where de dead waiting longer fuh a ride home than de livin’waitin’fuhdebus.Demboyssehde hospital got to start sendin’ out reminder letters—”Dear Family Member, kindly noteyuhlovedonestillwaitin’onyuhfuh de final upliftment ” Meanwhile, de relatives out there livin’ life, goin’ to parties, enjoyin’ de beach, and not a thought fuh poor Uncle Joe who still stretchoutcold,waitin’an’wonderin’ifhe gon’getapropersend-off.
Demboyssehonedaydemfamilygon’ showup,andUncleJoegon’berightdehat de gate, ghost an’all, tappin’he foot and askin’,“Whehyuhbeenalldistime?Y’all forgetmeh?”Demboysseh,indiscountry, yuhgottobepatient—evenifyuhdead. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
When oil came here, the lights went out all over Guyana. LookatPresidents Ali and Jagdeo. Dimness is what has overtaken their souls, purged whatever little light they may have once had. The oil should signify thebrightlightofprosperity forallGuyanese.
Thickdarknesshasbeen the substitute; an evil wind moans over most Guyanese from the time oil has been found. Iknowitisdifficult but try to think of the light thatmaybeattheendofthe long tunnel. Those who are frozen, unable to think, shouldusetheirimagination. When kept within proper limits, it expresses intangible faith. Guyanese need as much of that commodity [faith] as they can put their hands upon, if only to see them through their dark days. A solemn, profound Diwali holiday,
fellow Guyanese: Hindus first,therestaccordingly When leaders have light in them - any kind of clean light-theyaremeninspired, afire with zeal for spreading that light to their fellows. Theywalkupright. Leaders dowhatisright. They hold their people's intereststight. IsDr Alistill around, or did he take an extended holiday to shed some of the heavy darkness that fits like a second skin? Hear those plaintive voices crying in the night, Mr.Ali? It's the sound of hungry, frightenedchildrengroaning amid the enveloping darkness. It is not GPLinduced. A function, a consequence, of pure economicsplainandsimple. Somebody dedicate, please, a candle (diya) in honour of thepresident. Anyonedoing so would have lots of catchingupwithme,asIdo
so daily Penetrate the impenetrable has been the plearepeatedlysentupstairs. Theresponseshavebeen unfailingly prompt. Oil in lavish quantities has been given.
What'stheproblemnow? Leaders, is that right? So, leaders are about rottenness and darkness. What else is newinGT? Guyanesemust sort that one out among themselves. Common on, folks, be reasonable Guyanese have been given more than the entire world has received, which its own per capita calculation confirms.
Stop fooling around Guyana, Guyanese must fix thetroublesthattheycreated by themselves. Get to it. Get them out of their high office. But,please,getoutof myspace,forthereareother people who have not had so much generosity with
natural gifts, and they are clamoring for attention Bottomline,Guyanese:God is busy with other people. He is sick and tired of the same leadership problem perpetually coming out of Guyana.
Unless Guyanese are serious about finding light, living in light, then they are wasting time. Diwali or no Diwali, citizens of this country cannot continue with the same rancid set of leadersandexpecttoemerge fromtheirdarkness.
Cananyoneseethrough Castrol engine oil? Well, that's the reality, that's the story of oil. When will locals come to their senses? Whentheoilarrived,thelast light departed. From high places and all other levels. Allofthem! Checkforafew principled, unselfish Guyaneseandseehowmany result. Livewithit;that'sthe tradeoff. Thesmartsetcallit the oil curse. The first ones cursed are leaders; then the people for keeping them around (in any elected office).
Is former president Jagdeo still going around in circles, or has he decided to give the straight pathway a try? Thelasttimetherewas
any light in him, the Book of Genesis was still not in its formative stage: let there be light When it did come, he was missed by a mile. If Bhar-rat Jagdeo is not a figure of supreme midnight thickness, then I am the Archbishop of Canterbury, a Grand Ayatollah, and Pandit Persaudallinone. Hisface has that graveyard look: frightenedandfrightening. I am. Whatwashebeforeoil floatedupinGuyana,ifnota ranking angel of the twilight?
How has he been since the oil gushed in a trickle, thenatorrent? Mostpeople need a candle to see their waytowalkstraight. Jagdeo needsapairofplierstohelp straightenhistongue,sothat he can speak straight. Not the kind favoured by dentists, but those that have served mechanics well. We allhaveourchallenges. The onlymanIknowtodatewho takes his challenges and multiplythemisJagdeo. He arranged for the Americans to push out Granger To complete the exercise, he then arranged for the Yankees to coronate Irfaan
Ali on the throne. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. It is officially on Ali'shead,butJagdeo'stome is what has that dull and dismalpallor Itisthesignof a leader whose internals are riddled and wrenched by darkforces. Intheinstances of both esteemed brothersAli and Jagdeo - it is as Justice Akbar Khan so wisely said a long time ago: darknessaddedtodarkness. If there are Guyanese who think that $100,000 means light, start over The blasted thing can't even get started.
Still, may the glorious light of Diwali shine on all Guyanese. Bhais Ali ad Jagdeo are included. Inner light empowers such a gracious mindset. Money doesn't matter, Mr Jagdeo. Nor oil (The views expressedinthisarticleare those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the o p i n i o n s o f t h i s newspaper.)
This Diwali finds us as a country still mired in darkness, but we believe that light will triumph over darkness.
Our nation is at a challenging crossroad in its life and this Diwali is a timely reminder that we have to redouble our effort to banish ignorance from public policies, from public commentaries and from our public and private actions.
Let us as a nation make more policies that target the poor and the underprivileged and bring the good life to all our people.
At the individual level, let us all recommit to share whatever little we can with our neighbours to make their life a little better.
Let us use this occasion to reflect on the principles that we should collaborate more and try our best as individuals and as a collective to be on good terms with all.
The trial concerning the 2020 Election Fraud case is set to resume on Friday, where the matter will either continue before Senior MagistrateLeroyDalyorgo beforeanewmagistrate.
Originally scheduled to continue on October 31 at theGeorgetownMagistrates' Court, the trial has been postponed to November 1 duetothepublicholidayfor Diwali.
The 19 conspiracy charges were brought to the court in 2021 and trial commenced in July 2024. However, the trial has since faced multiple delays, the mostrecentbeingtheillness of Senior Magistrate Daly, who announced her condition in early August.
Thetrialwasfurtherdelayed in September as she remainedunwell.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall addressed the ongoing situation during his “Issues in the News” commentary on Tuesday night, stating that should Magistrate Daly remain unwell, a new magistrate should be appointed to oversee the case. In this situation, the trial will have tostartanew.
“What I have called on the judiciary for and what I am reiterating is if the Magistrate is not present, that a new magistrate be assignedtothecaseandthat
the new Magistrate set very firm and early timelines for the trial of the case to recommence Once a Magistrate is changed, the rule is that…they must start afresh if the trials were commenced,” Nandlall explained.
Heemphasizedtheneed for fixed timeframes for the trials to commence and continue over a definite period, especially with the upcoming 2025 elections approaching while the 2020 election fraud case remains unresolved. Nandlall remarked, “They have travelled a very unfortunate course, a course littered by delayanddelaytactics.”
During the last court proceedings on September 17, 2024, Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty presided over the hearing and further adjourned the trial. She informed both the prosecutionanddefencethat
ifMagistrateDalycontinues to be unwell, the court may need to assign the case to a differentmagistrateorcourt.
“If her illness continues, we (the court) as well as the prosecution and defence may be forced to take another route, in which case certain submissions may have to be made regarding the viability of the matter proceeding before another court or magistrate,” MagistrateMcGustystated.
The trial initially began on July 29, 2024, but was briefly adjourned three days later and rescheduled for September 17 due to MagistrateDaly'sillness.To date, only two prosecution witnesses have testified, with one testimony still incomplete.
The trial involves nine defendants facing 19 conspiracy charges The accused include former GECOM Chief Elections
Officer Keith Lowenfield; formerReturningOfficerfor District Four Clairmont Mingo;formerDeputyChief Election Officer Roxanne Myers; former Minister
Scrutineer Carol Smith Joseph;andformerGECOM
February, Enrique Liven, Michelle Miller, and Denise Babb-Cummings. Most of the defendants appeared at the hearing, but Miller, Febru
Cummings were absent Former Minister Lawrence participatedvirtually
The charges allege that betweenMarch2andAugust
2, 2020, at Ashmins' Building in Georgetown, Lowenfield, Mingo, and Myers conspired with Lawrence,Joseph,February, Liven, Cummings, Miller, and others to defraud the electors of Guyana by presenting false votes from the March 2, 2020, general andregionalelections.
Minister Anthony and other healthcare workers conversing with the trainee nurses at the Suddie
Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony has projected a need for 600 nurses on the Essequibo Coast to support the region's evolvinghealthcarelandscape.
With rapid transformations in the sector andnewhealthcareinfrastructuresunderway, thedemandforskillednursesisanticipatedto grow significantly, particularly in Region Two.
According to the minister, the upcoming completionofthenewLimaHospitalandthe expansionofservicesatotherfacilitiesonthe coast will intensify the demand for nursing professionals To address this, the governmenthasbeenheavilyinvestinginthe Professional Hybrid Nurses Programme, whichhasrecruitednearly1,200participants sinceitslaunchinJunelastyear
This programme combines online theoretical training with practical in-person sessions to accelerate and enhance nurse training. “If we are going to improve the qualityofservicesthenwehavetogetmore nursesthatarequalifiedintothesystem,” Minister Anthony emphasised Minister Anthony underscored the government's initiatives to address the growing need for trainednurses.
Hehighlightedthatanewnursingschool is under construction within the hospital's compoundtomeetthisdemand.
“Ourintentionistohavemorestudents
coming in to have that in-person experience… We are planning to have a computerroom in the new nursing school and lecture theatres to make learning easier,”thehealthministerpointedout.
Currently, Guyana's three nursing schools Georgetown, New Amsterdam, and Linden—can train only about 200 students annually.Thenew school at Suddie will also facilitate the Continued Nursing Education course, a recent requirement for nursingprofessionals.Beyondinfrastructure expansion,thegovernmentisintensifyingthe nursing programme. The health minister explained that the ministry is developing specialised training tracks for registered nurses, enabling them to pursue careers in areassuchascriticalcare,neonatalcare,and surgicalnursing.
This initiative aims to enhance career advancement opportunities within the nursingsectorandimproveservicequalityin specifichealthcarefields.“Ifwearegoingto docriticalcarehereinEssequibo,thenwe will need critical care nurses. If we are goingtoofferbetterneonatalcarethenwe need neonatal care nurses. This also goes forsurgicalcareandsoforth,”Dr Anthony said. He expressed confidence that these infrastructure developments and programme enhancementswillsignificantlyimprovethe standardofnursingacrossthecountry (DPI)
They had a cordial meeting to explore opportunities to strengthen cooperation in personnel exchanges, industries, education and vocational training among other fields between Jiangsu Province of China and
According to information from the Chinese Embassy of Guyana, Jiangsu is amongChina'swealthiestprovinces,withthe second-highest GDP and third-highest GDP per capita among Chinese mainland's provincial-levelregionsin2023.Overthelast 31 years, Jiangsu Province of China has sent 20medicalteamstoGuyana.
The Caribbean Court of Justice(CCJ)onWednesday ruledthattheappointmentof two PPP candidates as Parliamentary Secretaries in the National Assembly is lawful, striking down two contrary decisions in the lowercourtsinGuyana.
The CCJ's decision followedthe rulingsofthe Court of Appeal to uphold the High Court's judgment that the appointments of the Ms. Sarah Browne, and Mr Vikash Ramkissoon as Parliamentary Secretaries wereinvalid.Thematterwas heard by the CCJ President, JusticeAdrianSaunders,and Justices Winston Anderson, Maureen Rajnauth-Lee, Andrew Burgess, and Peter Jamadar
Attorney General, Mohabir Anil Nandlall SC, Douglas Mendes SC, Nigel Hawke, Solicitor General, Clay Hackett, and Shoshanna Lall, Deputy
Solicitor General appeared for the Appellants Ms BrownandMr Ramkissoon. Attorneys, Roysdale FordeSC,SelwynAPieters, Dexter Todd, Darren Wade, andSashaKingappearedfor respondent, Opposition Member of Parliament, Christopher Jones
Attorneys, C. V Satram, Mahendra Satram, Manoj
Narayan, Ron Motilall, and Chandanie Dyalappearedforthesecond Respondent the Speaker of theNationalAssembly
Accordingtothefactsof the case, the two secretaries were both named on the list of candidates presented by the People's Progressive Party/Civic('thePPP/C')for general and regional
an instrument dated 14th September 2020 The President's appointments were made in keeping with article 186 of the Constitution.
electionsheldon2ndMarch 2020 The PPP/C was declaredthewinnerofthose elections They were allocated33ofthe65seatsin the National Assembly Ms. B r o w n e a n d M r Ramkissoon were listed amongthecandidatesputup by the PPP/C Neither, however, was among the 33 namesextractedfromthelist putforwardbythePPP/Cto hold seats in the Assembly Following the elections, the President appointed both Ms Browne and Mr R a m k i s s o o n a s ParliamentarySecretariesby
However, Jones, an Opposition Member of Parliament was dissatisfied with the two presidential appointments. He filed a Fixed Date Application dated 22nd December 2020, seeking declarations that Ms Browne and Mr Ramkissoonwerenotlawful members of the Assembly nor were they lawfully appointed Parliamentary Secretaries. The High Court granted the declaration that the two appointees were not lawful members of the NationalAssembly The High Court considered itself bound by thedecisionofthetrialjudge in Attorney General of Guyana v Morian. The reasoningofthetrialjudgein Morian was influenced by thatwhichwassetoutinthe earlier High Court decision of Trotman v Attorney General The Court of Appeal's dismissals of the decisions in Morian and
Trotman respectively were each based on procedural issues rather than the substantive issues adjudicated by the High Court. Notwithstanding, the Court ofAppeal in this case also considered itself bound by these two decisions and notedthatitwasfortheCCJ “to correct any errors in Morian”.
The CCJ, therefore, considered two main issues; whethertheCourtofAppeal wasboundbythedecisionof Morianand,andwhetherthe appointments of Messrs Browne and Ramkissoon were lawful. In the lead judgment, CCJ President, Justice Adrian Saunders, with whom the Justices Anderson, Rajnauth-Lee, Burgess,andJamadaragreed addressed the first issue noting that the principle of stare decisis promotes c o n s i s t e n c y a n d predictability in the law Therefore, if a Court of Appeal dismisses an appeal, especially on constitutional interpretation, on purely procedural grounds, making noassessmentwhatsoeverof (Continuedonpage24)
China's CNOOC Limited has reported record increases in net production andnetprofit.
The company made the disclosure when it announced its operating resultsforthethirdquarterof 2024.
CNOOC credits its increasednetproductiontoa substantial boost from Guyana's Payara project located in the Stabroek Block The company's overseasproductiongrewby 12 2% year-over-year to 172.9 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE), with the Payara project in Guyana highlighted as a major contributortothisincrease.
In the first nine months of2024,CNOOCachieveda net production of 542 1 million BOE, an 8.5% rise compared to last year. Guyana's Payara, alongside other key offshore projects, played a significant role in lifting CNOOC's global production.
Financially, CNOOC realised a 19.5% increase in net profit, reaching RMB 116.66 billion. This success was bolstered by a 13.9% year-over-year increase in oil and gas revenue, which rose to RMB 271.43 billion, despite Brent oil prices remainingsteady
Moreover, CNOOC's capital expenditures increased by 6.6% to RMB
95 34 billion, supporting production expansion in projects like Payara and several new domestic projects Zhou Xinhuai, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President of the company, said, “In the first three quarters, despite the v o l a t i l e e x
environment, the staff of CNOOC Limited remained committ
d
o
heir responsibilities and worked diligently to achieve record high net production and net profit for the same period in history Inthefourthquarter, wewillcontinuetofocuson theannualtargetandstriveto accomplish the production and operation tasks for the wholeyear.”
Guy
Block which is estimated to hold 11.6 billion barrels of o
Limited.Theblockislocated approximately 120 miles offshore Guyana, and is 6.6 millionacres.CNOOCholds 25%interest.
Oil was discovered in 2015 and by December 2019, oil p
uction commenced.Currently, they are three F
ing Production, Storage, and Offloading units (FPSOs) operating in the Stabroek Block. The Liza Destiny, Liza Unity, and Prosperity
producing a combined 650,000barrelsofoilperday (bpd).
The Liza 1 project, utilising the Liza Destiny
designed for production of 120,000 barrels per day (bpd), later optimised and is currentlyproducing157,000 bpd. The Liza Unity FPSO, which started in February
2022 with a capacity of 220,000 bpd, was also optimised. Recently, Exxon disclosed that this vessel is producing 252,000 bpd but disclosedthatthereareplans to hit a daily output of
Guyana's Stabroek Block, where CNOOC holds 25% interest
270,000bpd.
The Prosperity vessel operating in the Payara Project,beganproductionin November 2023, and had a quick increase in its production. The vessel reached 100,000 bpd in November, and then exceeded180,000bpdbythe end of December. This vessel's current authorized production capacity is 252,000bpd.
An Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD) man might be a victim of mistaken identity after he was abducted from his home on Sunday and severely beaten with a piece woodbysixmenwhoclaimed thatheisathief.
Policehadtobecalledinto rescue the man identified as 31-year-oldTolaRampersaud. Responding ranks managed to arrest two of the six beaters. One reportedly escaped from the police outpost while the other was released days later on station bail. Rampersaud remainsfearfulforhislifeand his family is demanding justice.
Speaking with Kaieteur News,Rampersaudsaidthathe was first attacked by the men around 04:00hrs on Sunday while he and a friend were returning home from birthday party in Hope West, Enmore. Rampersaud recalled that a grey car pulled up alongside them and a man inside confronted them reportedly saying, “Wha y'all looking fuh…?Fuhthiefpeoplething, y'allalookfuhjumphouse!”
“Suhmeseh,uncleawena tief people thing and suh, a birthday party we been and a we a go home now,” Rampersaudclaimed.
He said the man start to “cuss up” and he “cuss up” back the man. As things escalated Rampersaud reportedlythrewhisbicyclein frontoftheman'scarandthey continuedtoquarrelwitheach other but then some men emerged from the dark Rampersaud said that one of them had unleashed a pit bull dog on him and his friend as theyattackedthem.
Astheytriedtoescape,the maninthecarattemptedtorun himover “Whenhetryfuhrun me ova with the car, I find a steelbarlikeandthrowitonhe car windscreen”. Rampersaud claimed while recounting that theycontinuetorun.
Amidthechaos,helosthis
friend as they ran in different directions. Fearful for his life, Rampersaudreportedlysought refuge in some nearby bushes until “day clean”. At around 06:00hrs, he ran home and explained to his parents what happened.
Heisunsureifthemensaw himrunninghomebutrecalled that he was bathing when the men invaded. They reportedly brokeopenthebathroomdoor and dragged him out in the presence of his parents Rampersaudsaidthementhen placedhiminacarwherethey assaultedhimwhiledrivingto a house. When they arrived, the men began beating Rampersaud with a piece of wood for at least 20 minutes before police ranks from the Enmore Outpost came to his rescue.
Rampersaud's father said that he was the one who went in search of the police to save hisson'slife.
“I had to leave the scene here at home while dem beating meh son and get into the Canter truck and drive out in me bare shorts (underwear) alone straight out to the Enmore Outpost and get the police”,thefathersaid.
When police arrived, the men ran away but ranks managedtocatchtwoofthem, the driver of the car and his brother. Kaieteur News understandsthatattheoutpost, one of the men jumped into another car and escaped Rampersaud said he is not acquainted with any of the men.
He added that while the men were beating him, they keptsayingheisathief.“Buta tell dem, me nah a thief me neverteknobodythingorhold one of them”, Rampersaud claimed.
K a i e t e u r N e w s understands that two of the men are from Mon Repos, while the others involved are said to be their workers Investigationsareongoing.
The case against Marlon Wilburg, also known as 'Mice Man,' who was accused of the attempted murder of six-year-old Jeremiah Gustave, was withdrawn during a hearing on Wednesday at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court.
Wilburg's lawyer, Clive Ford, appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty on his behalf Originally scheduled for
reports, Police Prosecutor Williams informed the court that he had received a Fiat from the Office of the
, instructing him to withdraw thecaseagainstWilburg.
officiallywithdrewthecase. Efforts by Kaieteur News to obtain a reason for the withdrawal from the DPP
Jeremiah's mother, Keisha Gustave, attended the hearing and expressed her dissatisfaction with the outcome.Theonlywordsthe distraught mother was able to say to this publication was, “I aint feel pleased”, reflecting her frustration overthesituation. Wilburg had been remanded to prison on July 29, 2024, when he appeared in court He and Odel Garnette, also known as
“Crab,” are accused of shooting six-year-old Gustave in the head on July 9, 2024, at Charles Street, Charlestown, Georgetown The charge against Wilburg alleges that he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Gustave.Hewasarrestedon July 26 and confessed to shooting the child during interrogation.
Garnette, whose last court appearance was on October 17, 2024, attributed
Jeremiah Gustave currently receiving treatment for gunshot wound at GPHC
the shooting to Wilburg, claiming, “This young man wasshootingbehindmeand make Jeremiah get knock ma'am.” Despite his plea,
Garnette was further remanded and is scheduled to appear again on November 6, 2024, for furtherproceedings. Reports indicate that Jeremiah, a student at Smith's Memorial Primary School, was sitting at his mother's food stall when an altercation escalated, resultinginhimbeingshotin the head. He was quickly
transported to the GeorgetownPublicHospital Corporation, where he has undergone two surgeries thus far As of now, it has been three months since Jeremiah was shot He remains in serious condition inthePaediatricWardatthe GeorgetownPublicHospital Corporation (GPHC). Photos shared with this
murder
publicationshowthechildin a weakened state, unable to movewithoutassistanceand beingfedthroughatube. Keishadescribedthetoll this situation has taken on her life, stating that she has been unable to work due to her constant presence at the hospital. She also expressed concern about Jeremiah missingoutonhiseducation, emphasizing that he is only sixyearsold.
Lodged with police, the bandits' firearm
Two bandits on a black Honda XR motorcyleaborted their robbery plans at East Ruimveldt on Tuesday night after the victim managed to disarm one of them of his loaded .38 revolver.
Thevictimwasreportedlysittingatashopwithhisgirlfriend whenthebanditspulledupontheirbikearound21:30hrs.The pillionriderarmedwiththerevolverjumpedoffandwalkedup to the couple. Reports are that he pulled out the gun from his pantswaistanddealtthegoldmineronelashtotheheadwhile demanding that they handover their belongings but the victim defended himself with a cellphone. Police said the gold miner disarmedthebanditofhisgunafterpeltinghim(thebandit)to thefacewithhiscellphone.Thebanditthenfledthescenewith his accomplice.Apolice report was made and the bandit's gun lodged. Investigationsareongoing.
Diwali reminds us that even in the darkest times, righteousness can triumph over evil
The Festival of Lights Diwali
—illuminatesthe profound truth that good ultimately triumphs over evil This celebration honoursLordRama’sreturn toAyodhyaafter14yearsof exile, during which he vanquishedthedemonking, Ravana. Diwali represents not just Lord Rama’s homecomingbutthevictory of righteousness over darkness, highlighting the enduring power of love and loyalty to overcome life’s challenges.
The story of Diwali carriesapoignantlessonfor all of us. It reminds us that even in the darkest times, righteousness can triumph over evil. Our nation has faced numerous challenges
throughout the years, and there were moments filled with doubt and fear about our ability to emerge victorious.However,history has shown that, as a people, we have persevered and triumphed.
Today, we still confront issues like racial division and economic disparities that weigh heavily on our hearts.
Yet, we also see the dedication and efforts of many who strive to bring about positive change Diwali encourages us to hold onto hope and believe that we can overcome these challengestogether Diwali is a time for celebration and reflection, reminding us of the importance of compassion
forthoselessfortunate.This holiday inspires us to commit to helping those in need while encouraging gatherings with family and m
Embraced by both Hindus and non-Hindus, Diwali unites us, highlighting the shared humanity that binds usalltogether
In this beautiful season of Diwali, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) warmly extends heartfelt greetings to the Hindu community and all fellow Guyanese.We hope that the gentle glow of the diyas inspires everyone to embrace the light within, fostering a sense of peace and compassion in our heartsandminds.
‘Diwaliremindsusofthepowerof goodness,resilience’-MinistryofEducation
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand on behalf of the Ministry of Education, extends heartfelt Diwali greetings to all citizens of Guyana and the wider diaspora as we celebrate this auspicious festival of lights.
Diwali symbolises the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair.
Thisfestivalremindsus of the power of goodness, the resilience of the human spirit, and the shared commitment we must all
GTUC urges Guyanese to use festival of lights as catalyst to pursue inclusion and prosperity for all
The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) extendsDiwaliGreetingsto all Guyanese, particularly our Hindu brothers and sisters.
On this auspicious event,weacknowledgethis is a time when the Hindu community is celebrating “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance” and join with youinsaidcelebration.
AsGuyaneselighttheir diyas, GTUC urges reflection on the troubles around the world and in particular Guyana, at this time and how we as a people and nation could contribute to global and national peace and
harmony GTUC believes local peace and harmony are attainable if we, as a people and government, can adhere to the fundamental principles of treating each other with dignity,andacceptingitisa right of all Guyanese, as inheritors of this land, to equally and equitably participateofitsbountyand be protected by its laws.
When we set these standards at home, we strengthenourclaimforthe pursuit of worldwide comity.
Weareremindedinthis season where there is celebration for light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance, that we as
Guyanese must play our role in ensuring similar enlightenment and upliftmentinthelivesofall Guyanese Falling standards, widening of the gap between the haves and have nots, moral decay, discrimination, ethnic and political tension must be addressedinordertoliftour societytothenobleidealof being, “One People One NationOneDestiny.”Thus, we pray this season is used tousherinlight,love,unity, prosperityandhappinessto allGuyanese,especiallythe vulnerable and working poor. Let us solemnly resolve to bring our nation out of the darkness into the light. A Joyous and Happy DiwalitoallGuyanese!
have toward fostering harmony, unity, and prosperity for our communities and our nation. As we gather with family and friends to light diyas,maywe alsoignitea passion for learning, a respect for diversity, and a commitment to nurturing thepotentialofeverychild. Educationisthefoundation upon which we can build a future of inclusiveness, opportunity, and progress for all, regardless of background, faith, or heritage.
E
The Ministry of
ERC urges Guyanese to reflect on the values of compassion, generosity
committed to providing quality,equitableeducation to every child in Guyana. AswecelebrateDiwali,let us recognize the importance of learning and knowledge in breaking down barriers and building a society that shines as brightly as the lights that illuminate our homes and communities. May this Diwali bring peace,prosperity,andjoyto all. May it inspire us to continue striving for a future where every child has access to the light of knowledge and the tools to buildabrightertomorrow Th Commission warm Guyan Hindu residing world occasion obser known Festi symbolizes light over over evil, over ignorance. itisaperiod refle streng among family, friends, g
ht diyas, partake in ies that vibrancy and wali, a Guyana. committedto harmony ng, and that Diwali bridging cultural fosteringasense As we homes and festival,let values of andrespect Deepavali!
Drivers to drive Canter, and Porters to work in warehouse. Call: 673-7373. Experience is an asset.
Wanted: Experienced Puri Maker, Counter Person, Cleaner & Labourer. Apply @ Shanta's, 225 Camp and New Market Sts. 654-1361.
Domestic (Live in option available), female cook and male & female workers for the interior :660-9093 / 674-9999 / 680-7803.
COINS Wanted, I buy coins best prices paid. Tele : 6430902 / 653-4287.
Canter Driver age 30 year or older, Must have at least 5 years experience. Call: 6130855 between 9:00 am - 4:30 pm.
Wanted! Workers for packaging pasta and chowmein. $4100-$4900 per day. Workers paid weekly. Call: 6117839 (GTT)/ 637-0983 (digi).
One nursery school teacher for three year old, 3 days per week from 11 am -1 PM. Call : 629-5439.
One driver residing on West bank /West coast demerara,must be licensed for Car,van & truck. Call : 2642524.
One handyman to clean yard once a week. Call : 623-8414.
One handyman / Porter residing on West bank /West coast demerara,must know to read & write.Call : 624-0239..
Male sales-rep 22-28 years old, Knowledge about vehicle models would be an asset. Call : 709-4313.
Fish process to work in Georgetown. Contact : 6825002
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A13-year-old boy lost his life on Tuesday night, after he was stabbed by his 11year-old friend, following an attack which the deceased had launched at the suspect’s 16-year-old brother during a heated argument at Cummings Park E Field, Sophia, Georgetown.
The dead teenager has been identified as, Kareem Durant, who was a student at Carmel Secondary School, and who resided at D Field Sophia, Georgetown. Police reported that the tragic murder occurred at 19:10h.
A report issued by police stated that the victim and the suspect were friends, who usually play together in the
community. Prior to the incident, the suspect was reportedly sitting on a stock of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes, which are stored on the parapet at the side of his home, when Durant went up to him and pushed him off of the pipes. As a result, he fell to the ground and then went to his 16-year-old brother to inform him of what had transpired. The older brother then approached Durant in the presence of his smaller brother, where he enquired about the issue. However, an argument ensued and Durant left, but reportedly returned armed with a scissors, while in the company of another male.
“He (Durant) then ap-
proached the older brother of the suspect and dealt him a stab to his left side lower back,” Police reported. After seeing that, the 11-year-old brother pulled out a knife from his pants waist and dealt a stab wound to Durant in the region of his left side chest. Following that the victim then ran heading towards his home and collapsed on the parapet in front of his home.
Durant’s older brother 22year-old Shawn Fletchman picked him up and rushed him to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police further reported.
Samples were taken, from what seems to appear to be
spots of blood stains where Durant fell. One knife which is alleged to be the weapon used was recovered in a nearby trench in the vicinity of the scene.
The pair of scissors was also recovered next to where the victim fell. Both the knife and the scissors were placed into evidence bags, marked, sealed, and lodged. The 11year-old boy was arrested at the crime scene and escorted to Turkeyen Police Station in the company of his 58-yearold father.
‘The body of the deceased is currently lying at GPHC mortuary, awaiting Post Mortem Examinations (PME). Investigations are ongoing.
From page 05 Declaration in 1995. A critical aspect of GR40 is that it elevates the standards of participation in international spaces, including international judicial bodies and monitoring bodies, peace and security sectors, arbitration mechanisms, and multilateral forums—areas where women’s representation has historically been absent or insufficient.
In justifying the recommendation of 50:50, rather than a minimum 30% as the Beijing Platform urged, CEDAW clarified that “equal and inclusive representation” must be the standard across all platforms to meet the Convention’s goal of eliminating gender discrimination and that the 30% minimum conveys a message that inequality between women and men is justifiable.
CEDAW took the approach that even though countries are mostly off-track with achieving the Beijing 1995 targets, it is better to start planning for the 50:50 parity now.
The current statistics underscore the need for change. In 2022, only 16% of peace negotiators were women, and gender-based provisions featured in only 33% of peace agreements. Women hold 27% of parliamentary seats globally and only 35% in local
Many Metal working machines for fabricating repairs & modify machinery parts. Come, make an offer. Tele : 227-1813.
government. This underrepresentation persists despite research indicating that women’s political leadership results in more stability, peace, and people-focused governance.
Addressing Economic Disparities in Leadership, CEDAW pointed out that presently, despite women making up a significant portion of the workforce, they hold only 28.2% of management roles globally.
The Committee also addressed the Gender Gap in Technology and Artificial Intelligence, noting women’s severe underrepresentation in tech and AI sectors. Guyana is one of the countries that have made a concerted effort to achieve the Beijing Platform targets for parliaments.
In its amended constitution in 2001, there is a provision for all lists of candidates in national and local government elections, a minimum of 33% of the candidates must be women.
The parliament of Guyana (September 2020 – present) has approximately 40% women MPs. Note that in the 1st election after independence, held in 1968, the Parliament of Guyana only had 10% women as MPs. In CARICOM today, only two countries have met the 30% Beijing target for women MPs – Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Jamaica is also a third CARICOM country that is within closing distance to the 30%, reaching approximately 29%.
Guyana’s push for gender equality has achieved success.
The Global Gender Gap Index was first introduced by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2006 to benchmark progress towards gender parity across four dimen-
sions: economic opportunities, education, health, and political leadership.
The 2024 Report ranked 146 countries which had the relevant statistics to enable ranking. Guyana was one of the 146 countries that met the eligibility standards for being included. ‘Guyana’s rank in 2024 was 35th, with a score of 76.5%. In 2021, Guyana ranked 53rd, with a score of 72.8%. Guyana continues to make improvements on the Gender Gap Index (GGI). These scores should improve significantly in subsequent reports.
The average (mean) score for the 146 countries was 68.5%, showing that Guyana was 8 points above the global average.
Guyana is also ahead of the average score for Latin America and the Caribbean which was 74.2% in 2024, with Guyana 2.3% above this average.
Guyana’s average score for economic participation and opportunity for women is 72.8%, with a rank of #47. But with President Irfaan Ali’s mission of engaging women and youth in agriculture, future Gender Gap Index scores for economic participation and opportunity should change dramatically, leading to over Gender Gap Index score also improving.
Guyana’s President, HE Dr. Irfaan Ali, was given the honor of addressing through a video message the closing ceremony of the World Food Forum which was held last week in Rome. I n his message, President Ali committed that Guyana is targeting a minimum of 30% of agri-businesses to be owned by women and 50% to be owned by women and youth. While many countries are promoting women and youth in agriculture and while
the UN SDGs have set this ambitious target for women and youth, few countries have embarked so boldly on meeting this commitment.
About 80 percent of the world’s food is produced by small-scale farming.
Women make up on average 43 percent of this agricultural labor in developing countries.
They are the majority in some countries. In South Asia, more than two-thirds of employed women work in agriculture. In eastern Africa, over half of farmers are women.
Yet they face significant discrimination when it comes to land and livestock ownership, equal pay, participation in decision-making entities, and access to credit and financial services. For example, only between 10% and 20% of agricultural land owners around the world are women. For this reason, one of the SDG targets (SDG 5.1.a) is specifically related to land ownership and rights: “Secure and equal ownership rights for women over agricultural land”.
CEDAW GR40 comes at a time when globally, countries are preparing for the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration on Gender Rights. Guyana has made impressive gains since Beijing 1995. It is one of few countries in the LAC with a Women and Gender Equality Commission. Hopefully, our country will emerge as a champion for GR40.
I am certain that GR40 will be a serious subject for the Constitution Reform Commission which has started work in Guyana.
Sincerely
Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN
(ALJAZEERA)Venezuela has pulled its ambassadorfromBrazilina spat over Caracas’s failed recentbidtojointheBRICS allianceofmajordeveloping nations.
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry announced the diplomatic punch on Wednesday, slamming Brazil’s officials for “blocking” its BRICS membership and making “interventionist, rude statements”.
The ministry also summonedBrazil’sbusiness envoy for talks, reported Reuters The move heightens tensions between the neighbouring South Americanstates,whichhave soured since Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
(AL JAZEERA)-
Hezbollah’s new leader, Naim Qassem, says that the group will keep fighting in its war with Israel until it is offered ceasefire terms it deems acceptable, as Israeli forces bombarded the ancient eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek and its outskirts following forced evacuationorders.
declared himself re-elected in July despite major irregularities in the tabulationofvotes.
Brazil’s President Luiz InacioLuladaSilva,aclose socialist ally of Maduro’s predecessor Hugo Chavez, has not recognised Maduro as the legitimate winner of the July 28 vote, calling on Venezuelan electoral authorities to first publish officialtallies.
Brazil’smovetoscupper Venezuela’s longtime BRICS ambitions at the group’s recent summit in Kazan, Russia added fuel to the fire. “The Venezuelan people feel indignation and shame at this inexplicable and immoral aggression,” said Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry after the vote
Ministry lashed out at Brazil’s top foreign policy adviser,CelsoAmorim,who said Brazil had vetoed the BRICS application because Caracas“breachedthetrust” ofitspartners.
claimed that its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won by a landslide, publishing detailed polling station results.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro attends a welcoming ceremony upon arrival at the BRICS summit, at Kazan International Airport, Russia October 22
Amorim, Venezuela’s ministry said, was “acting more like a messenger for N o r t h A m e r i c a n imperialism” and was “impertinently dedicated to issuing value judgments on processes that only correspond to Venezuelans and their democratic institutions.”
‘ M e s s e n g e r f o r imperialism’ In its latest statement, Venezuela’s Foreign
BRICS is currently comprised of original member nations Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa along with newcomers Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates, which all joined the bloc in January 2024.
Electoral officials aligned with Maduro declared him the winner of the election, but did not release detailed results to back up the claim The opposition, meanwhile,
Several Latin American countries and the United States have recognised Gonzalez, who was charged with incitement to sedition, as the victor Gonzalez has fled the country and sought political asylum in Spain. Venezuela’s security forces waged a fierce crackdown on demonstrators who took to the streets after the election, killing at least 23 people, according to a HumanRightsWatchreport. A Venezuelan opposition leader was found dead last week after being taken into state custody, according to hispoliticalparty
“If the Israelis decide to stop the aggression, we say thatweaccept,butaccording totheconditionsthatwesee as suitable,” Qassem said in a prerecorded televised addressairedonWednesday, hisfirstspeechsincehewas appointed leader “We will not beg for a ceasefire,” he said, noting that political efforts to secure a deal have
yettoyieldresults.
The speech was broadcast as international mediators pursued a new push
ceasefires in Lebanon and the besieged Gaza Strip Qassem, a Muslim leader and founding member of Hezbollah, was named Tuesday to replace former longtime leader Hassan
PM Phillips posited that the energy sector...
Frompage04 losses, to power delivery to consumers and not to mention theft of electricity which has existedfor decades,all of which he claimed willbeaddressedwiththegovernmentplans for improvement in generation, transmission,anddistributionsystemsacross thecountry,evenasthecorporationexpands service to unserved areas. The Prime Ministerstressedthattheseplanswillenable
GPLtomeetitspeakdemandsandthusmove thecountrytotheapexofitsdevelopment.
The Prime Minister’s dedication to the citizens of Guyana is boundless and neverending and “come hell or high water” he is committedtoendorsignificantlyreducethe power outages in the country which is an annoyancetothecitizens.
Sincerely, Dr.AsquithRose
CCJ rules appointment of two PPP candidates...
Frompage14 the correctness of the trial judge’s reasons for the particular interpretation, a future appellate Court should be very hesitant to consider itself bound essentially by the reasoning ofthattrialjudge.
In such an instance, it is entirely within the Court of Appeal’s remit to evaluate fully the reasoning of the lower court and come to its own conclusion. The Court considered that the second issue could be resolved by determining “who is, and how a person becomes, an elected member of the NationalAssembly?”
Nasrallah,whowaskilledin an Israeli air strike on a Beirut suburb in late September Qassem had servedasNasrallah’sdeputy formorethanthreedecades. Several other highranking officials with the group,includingNasrallah’s presumptive successor, Hashem Safieddine, have also been killed in recent weeks, as the IsraelHezbollahwarhasescalated inLebanon.Qassemsaidthe series of blows dealt to the group in recent weeks –including pager and walkietalkie explosions that targetedHezbollahmembers in mid-September and the assassination of Nasrallah –had “hurt” the group, but he asserted that the group had been able to reorganise its rankswithineightdaysafter Nasrallah’sdeath.
launched a ground invasion onOctober1,andtoadrone launched by Hezbollah that hitthehomeofIsraeliPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month. Netanyahu was not harmed. He said Hezbollah has been in coordination with Lebanese Parliament
Speaker Nabih Berri, the primary Lebanese interlocutor communicating with the United States, which has put forward a seriesofceasefireproposals.
“So far no project has been putforwardthatIsraelagrees onandisacceptableforusto negotiate it,” Kassem said.
Qassem said Hezbollah is carryingoutplanslaidoutby its slain former chief in the continuingwar
WhileArticle 186 of the Constitution was the main provision in dispute, the Court had regard to other provisions in the Constitution that referred to the terms ‘elected member’ and‘qualifiedtobeelected’. Such provisions included articles 53, 60, 101, 103, 105,106,113,155,160,and 232.
appointed a Parliamentary Secretary
TheCourtfoundthat,for names that are on a successful list, Morian created two classes of ‘elected members’ One class comprised real elected memberswhosenameswere extracted and who, therefore, could take the oath and sit and vote in the National Assembly and be appointed Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries The other class constituted ‘elected members’ whose names were not extracted and who could not take the oath had not sit in the Assembly and could not be
TheCCJfoundMorian’s interpretation of the term ‘elected member’ when appliedtocertainprovisions oftheConstitutionproduced untenable consequences The Court, therefore, held that an elected member of the National Assembly is a member whose name is extracted from a successful list.
This interpretation allowed for a coherent and consistentapplicationofthe term throughout the Constitution. Additionally, this interpretation also alignswiththeprovisionsof the Representation of the People Act The Court allowed the appeal and ordered each party to bear theirowncosts.
“ H e z b o l l a h ’ s capabilities are still available and compatible withalongwar,”hesaid.He pointed to the steady stream of Israeli soldiers wounded and killed in southern Lebanon since Israeli forces
People ‘all over each other’ As his speech was aired, a series of Israeli air strikes pounded the eastern city of Baalbek, hours after Israel issued a forced displacement call for the area, including the ancient Roman temple complex named a UNESCO World
HeritageSite.Theorderalso included surrounding areas and key routes in the Bekaa Valley Lebanon’s National News Agency said al-Asira area, along with the town of Iaat and its surroundings, were targeted. Israeli attack and surveillance drones werereportedflyingoverthe area shortly before the strikes. “The whole city of Baalbekwasshakingasloud soundswereheardacrossthe city,” a resident told the dpa news agency Tens of thousands of mostly Shia MuslimLebanese,including manywhohadsoughtshelter inthecityafterbeingforced tofleefromotherareas,fled after the Israeli evacuation order was issued Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from Beirut, said peoplewerestilltryingtoget out of “those very densely populated areas” “The governorofBaalbekhasalso been urging residents to leave,”Khansaid.
“Israel does have, under humanitarian international law, a responsibility to any civiliansthatareleftthere.
and
The Ministry of L a b o u r , i n collaboration with the Ministry of Human ServicesandSocialSecurity, hosted a two-day training
programme aimed at eradicating the worst forms ofchildlabourandendingall childlabourby2025.
Apress statement issued by the Labour Ministry
highlighted that the workshop was held on October28,andOctober29, 2024 at the Regency Hotel, H a d f i e l d S t r e e t , Georgetown. Theworkshop focused on, “Partnering to
KeepChildrenSafe.”
The workshop recorded over 60 employees from the Ministries of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Home Affairs, and Education, along with other keystakeholders.
Duringtheworkshop,the Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton thanked all the participating agencies for s u p p o r t i n g t h e Government's commitment to eliminate child labour nationwide and provide a safe environment for children to thrive “The ministeremphasisedthatthis
A 25-fireman has sufferedafracturedskulland broken leg after he lost control of his motorcycle which collided with a car at NorthRoad,Georgetownlast Saturday The injured man hasbeenidentifiedasCeresy David of Belmont
initiative aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8 7, which aims to eradicate the worst forms of child labour and end all child labour by 2025,” the Ministry of Labour stated on their Facebookpage.
M
on emphasisedthattheministry has undergone significant
restructuring to protect workers' and children's rights while improving access to training and employment opportunities. He encouraged participants to work together on comprehensive policies that not only remove children from labour situations but alsocreatepathwaysforskill development, fostering a
supportive environment for everychild.
“Myhopeisthatthrough this workshop, we prepare a plan where every child rescued from a harmful situation has access to facilities where they can receive technical training to supportthemselvesandtheir families, ” Minister Hamilton said in the press
statement It was further underscored that, since A u g u s t 2 0 2 0 , t h e Government of Guyana has taken steps to strengthen protocols with various government agencies, including revising labour laws through the Attorney General's Chambers to hold employers accountable for childlabour
Mahaicony
The other person involved in the accident was identified as 64-year-old Winston McRae, a security guardwhoresidesatLot374 Paradise Housing Scheme, EastCoastDemerara(ECD). The police reported that
David, the driver of motorcycle CN 6022, was traveling on North Road at a high speed when he lost control and collided with motorcarHB744,whichwas stationary on the northern parapet of the road. As a result of the collision, the motorcyclist fell onto the road and sustained injuries. David was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he was admitted in a serious condition. Police noted that Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage is being r e v i e w e d , a s t h e investigationscontinue.
SportsMax - Saint Lucia’s Olympic 100m champion,JulienAlfred,has finishedsecondinthesocial mediafanvotefortheWorld Athletics Female Athlete of the Year, as reported by the St. Lucia Times. The fan voting, which closed on Monday, was conducted across platforms including X,Instagram,andFacebook, where Alfred made an impressive showing among theworld’stopathletes.
Atthecloseofvoting,the
USA’sSydneyMcLaughlinLevroneledthesocialmedia poll with a combined total nearing 190,000 votes, primarily driven by her
finishedwith126,906votes, securing her position ahead of Kipyegon, who amassed 98,000 votes, and Thomas, whoroundedoutthetopwith justover92,000votes.
Alfred dominated the Facebook poll, collecting 37,000 votes to lead that
platform. She was closely followed by Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, who secured 35,000 votes on Facebook. Kipyegon,astandout1500m runner with three Olympic titles and a world record in herevent,wasAlfred’smain competition, as no other athlete came close to their tally, with the next highest reachingonly18,000votes. Inst
am proved decisive for the vote, as USA’s 400m hurdles world record holder and Olympic
champion, McLaughlinLevrone, surged ahead with over180,000votes,takinga commanding lead. Alfred, alongside 200m Olympic champion Gabby Thomas and Dominican Republic’s 400m gold medalist Marileidy Paulino, each garnered over 80,000 votes ontheplatform.
X (formerly known as Twitter) saw lower voting figures overall, with Kipyegon gaining nearly 15,000 votes, followed by Beatrice Chebet, a 5K and 10K champion and world record holder in the 10K, with just over 5,000 votes. Alfred received more than 2,500votesontheplatform.
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
Some unexpected but very welcomevisitorscouldarrive today, Aries They might bring some people you don't knowbutshouldconnectwith rightaway Expectinteresting n e w s , f a s c i n a t i n g information,.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
Taurus, who's that intriguing
new person in your neighborhood? What is it about this new neighbor that makesitimpossibleforyouto stop wondering about them? Quitobsessing.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
An unexpected letter could arrive today, Gemini, with a check enclosed, perhaps a gift, bonus, or offer to make more money.This might be a welcomebreak.
CANCER(June21–July22)
If you're in the arts or sciences, Cancer, sudden inspirationcouldcauseyouto startorcontinueaprojectthat meansalottoyou.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Meditation, dreams, or visions could bring amazing insights your way, Leo. You mightfindthemtoobizarreto believe, at least at first, but follow-up research could reveal that what you've come upwithisquitecredible.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
You're an adventurous soul, Virgo.Areyouthinkingabout a little mischief today? Are yougoingtoproposethatyou and a friend or perhaps your partner skip town for a day andforgetaboutwork,
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
A
d communication may come
e connected with your career, Libra.Thisisgoodnews,butit maybesooffthewallthatyou couldwalkaroundinadazefor awhiletryingtomakesenseof itall.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
Anunexpectedchancetoflyto a faraway place, perhaps at someoneelse'sexpense,could cometoyoutoday,Scorpio.A group might be involved, perhaps one connected with education.
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
Some bizarre and rather silly dreams might come to you tonight,Sagittarius.Theymay bethesortthatissocrazythat youactuallywakeuplaughing. Don't dismiss them. Silly or not,thesedreamsaretryingto tellyousomething.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Ifyou'resingle,youcouldfeel a very powerful attraction to someone unusual and perhaps alittlewacky Ifyou'realready inarelationship.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Have you been looking for anewjob,Aquarius?Ifso,you might hear of an opportunity from an unexpected source, perhapsatasocialgathering,if possible.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
If you're single, Pisces, love may come to you completely out of the blue today The person could be standing behind you in line at the store or sitting nearby you in the park.
The social media vote, however, accounts for just 25percentofthefinalresult, with the World Athletics Council’s vote contributing 50 per cent and the World Athletics Family’s vote adding the remaining 25 per cent. The top two nominees will be invited to the World
Frompage37 has failed miserably The nationalteamshouldindeed beasteppingstoneforlocal playerstogainexposure,but without concrete support from the Federation, exposure alone is a hollow promise.
ADESPERATENEED FORCHANGE
What’s evident is that Guyana’s football community needs a reset. TheFederationshouldhosta town hall-style stakeholder meeting to hear from players, fans, corporate entities,andofficialsalike.
An open dialogue about the critical areas in football transparency, p l a y e r c o n t r a c t s, infrastructure, and league structure—is overdue. For too long, the Federation has operated without checks, and the time has come for the football community to demandanswers.
G
Wi t h o u t u rg e n
in locked in this tragic cycle
T h e G F F ’ s unwillingnesstoreformand communicate openly with its players, fans, and stakeholders’ risks alienating the very people whosustainthesport.
Footballhasthepowerto bring people together, inspire youth, and elevate Guyana’s reputation on the worldstage.
But that potential will stay unfulfilled if the GFF’s leadership doesn’t change course.
The time for polite suggestionshaspassed.
If the GFF truly values
its players and fans, it must show it by prioritizing transparency, supporting its players, and rebuilding the trustithaslost.
ForGuyana’sfootballto progress, the Federation itself must undergo a transformation, starting now
The choice is clear: either evolve to serve the playersandthenation,orbe remembered as the leadership that failed one of Guyana’spassion.
BBC-Englandwereleft withplentytoconsiderafter a disappointing Test series defeatinPakistan.
But one thing they no longer have to worry about is the World Test Championship with losses in Multan and Rawalpindi ending Ben Stokes’ side’s hopes of reaching next summer’sfinal.
However, with 20 Tests remaininginthe2023-2025 cycle, five teams are still in withachanceofmakingitto Lord’s and playing for the right to be crowned World Testchampions.
Holders Australia are stillfirmlyinthemix,asare India-beatenfinalistsinthe first two editions of the competition-NewZealand, SouthAfricaandSriLanka.
BBC Sport has taken a look at what they each require to clinch a top-two spot and progress to the final World Test Championshippointstable
How does the World Test Championship points systemwork?
Each World Test Championship cycle runs for two years. The current onebeganinJune2023and finishes with the final in June 2025. Teams play six series in that time - three at homeandthreeaway-with 12 points awarded for winningamatch,sixforatie and four for a draw However, as teams play a different number of Tests
across their six series, the table is ranked by percentageofpointswon.
So, a win (12 points) is 100%,atie(sixpoints)50% and a draw (four points) 33.3%.
Meanwhile,sidescanbe deducted points for a slow over-rate.
WorldTestChampionship schedule & fixtures October 2024: Bangladesh v South Africa (second Test of twomatchseries)November2024: India v New Zealand (third Test of three-match series) November 2024-January 2025:Australia v India (fivematch series) NovemberDecember2024:WestIndiesv Bangladesh (two-match series) NovemberDecember 2024: South Africa v Sri Lanka (twomatchseries)
November-December
2024:NewZealandvEngland (three-matchseries)December 2024-January 2025: South Africa v Pakistan (two-match series)January2025:Pakistan v West Indies (two-match series) January 2025: Sri LankavAustralia(two-match
series) World Test Championship qualification scenariosIndia
WhileIndiastillleadthe way as it stands, back-toback home losses to New Zealand have made it that much tougher for Rohit Sharma’s men to reach a thirdstraightWTCfinal. It is still in their hands, though, and victory in the
third Test against the Black Caps combined with winning three Tests in Australia would guarantee them a place in the showpiece game next summer Australia
Following India’s slip ups against New Zealand, theequationisprettysimple for Australia: win five of theirlastsevenmatchesand they’ll go to Lord’s for a chancetodefendtheirtitle.
Fourwins-shouldthree ofthemcomeagainstIndiashould be enough but anything less than five and other results become a factor SriLanka
As withAustralia, it’s a fairly straightforward scenarioforSriLanka.Win all four of their remaining matches in the cycle and theywillbeinthefinal.
That won’t be easy against fellow contenders South Africa and Australia but three wins and a defeat might still be enough depending on results elsewhere.NewZealand
Anhistoricserieswinin IndiahaskeptNewZealand, Test champions in 2021, in withachanceofreturningto thefinal.Evenvictoryinall fouroftheirremainingTests - one in India and three at home to England - would notassurethemofatop-two placebutitwouldgivethem averygoodchance.
SouthAfrica
As it stands, the Proteas require five wins from five
to be completely sure of a berthinthefinal.
Four wins and a draw would give them a strong chance, while even four wins and a loss would not completely end their chances.
However, in both instances, they would need otherresultstogotheirway England, Pakistan, BangladeshandWestIndies are no longer in contention to reach the final. But, of course, it is worth noting thatitcouldallchangeagain if any side is deducted points for a slow over-rate, as five teams have in this cycle, including both England and Australia duringthe2023Ashes.
W o r l d T e s t Championshipwinnerslist The World Test Championship was launched in 2019 by the International Cricket Council (ICC) so that each format of the game had a pinnacle tournament. The previouswinnersare:20192021: New Zealand (beating India) 2021-2023: Australia(beatingIndia)
When is the World Test Championshipfinal?
The 2025 World Test Championship final will take place at Lord’s in England The five-day matchisscheduledtobegin onWednesday,11June.
There will be ball-byball radio commentary availableacrosstheBBC.
Gymkhana and
meet set for Brighton Turf Club November 10
The Brighton Turf Club at Brighton Village on the Corentyne, Berbice will come alive with horseracing and gymkhana action on Sunday November 10 when PromotersMarlonandMark Prince stage the one day event.
The action is set to get underway from 1:30pm and sevenracesarecardedforthe programme with the feature being the J-Class and lower race. The afternoon has promised a chockfull of entertainment and fans are encouraged to come out in theirnumbers.
Big G Sawmill and LumberyardofLinden,Fort Addalay Enterprise are amongthesponsorsandthey havecontributedtorepairsat thevenue.
Mr Nand Persaud of the Karibee Rice Company of Number 36 Village Corentyne, Berbice is also on board lending valuable sponsorshipassistancetothe event. Music from the Undercoversoundsystemof Number 56 Village, Corentyne plus a well stocked drink and food bar will add to the comfort and entertainment of the fans present.
Boxing Champion Elton Dharry returns to the National Stadium - BAD BLOOD 2 punches off November 22
Guyana’s boxing star, Elton Dharry, returns to action in Guyana on November22attheNational Stadiuminafeaturedboutin preparation for his World TitleShotinFebruary
The fight card titled SangreMalo/BadBlood2is sanctioned by the Guyana Boxing Board of Control, sponsoredbytheMinistryof Culture,YouthandSportand promoted by Elton Dharry
and Nexgen Global Promotions.
Joining Dharry will be journeyman Dexter Marques, internet sensation
Laured Stewart and
Guyana’s best Olympic boxerKeevinAllicockgoing u p a g a i n s t t o u g h c o m p e t i t i o n f r o m
Trinidadian fighters The exciting card will feature
four of the best professional boxers who have been the face of boxing in Guyana along with four top quality amateurfights.
Boxing fans will not want to miss this awesome lead-upfightandseeDharry in action as he prepares for his destiny- bringing home Guyana’snextWorldTitle.
The action will kick off on Friday November 22 at the National Stadium, the only venue large enough to hostafightofthismagnitude and will have a fantastic halftime show in between thebouts.
Don’t Miss this exciting night of boxing as the best fightersinGuyanashowcase their talent on the biggest stage, surrounded by top quality entertainment and thousandsoffans.
BySamuelWhyte
Members of the Rose Hall Community Centre (RHCC), parents and supporters of the club are disappointed with the National Senior Selectors attached to the Guyana CricketBoard(GCB).
Theirboneofcontention is the non-selection of any player of the club to participate in the ongoing Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) T20 cricket competition.
Inareleasefromtheclub it stated that they wished to expresstheirdisappointment that no cricketers from the clubwereselectedtoplayin the National T-20 tournament.
It stated that, “Our club overthepastfewyears,have
showed tremendous improvements in the departmentofyouthcricket. The performances are there to speak for themselves Apart from dominating a lot in youth cricket in Berbice. Theclubhasbeenproducing alotofcricketersattheintercounty, national and international levels in both the male and female categories.”
Itfurtherstatedthat,“Itis very unfortunate that six teams were selected to participateintheNationalT-
20leaguethatrequiresthree, U19 players in each squad a total of 18 U19 players and none were selected from the RHCC especially for either of the named Berbice squads.
Giving an account of some of their top junior players the club named Romario Ramdehol who finished as the leading wicket taker in the just concluded Regional U-17 tournament.
While others with less prominent performance was selected.
The club is questioning the non-selection of prolific youth player Adrian Hetmyer, who participated in National Senior trials earlierthisyearbutcouldnot be selected even as an U-19 player It referred to others of his age group who were selected.
National U17 pacer DevonWhartonwasratedas one of the fastest bowlers in the recently concluded Regional U-17 competition. He was applauded for his steamy spells and his death bowlingskills.
Raymond Vankenie was recentlyinvitedtotrialstobe a part of the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) squad and also has played in the Tobago T-10
league.
Accordingtotherelease, theRHCCiscurrentlyintwo countywidefinals(U-19and U-17)andiscurrentlyinthe U-15Semifinals.
The non-selection of the above mentioned players and many more leaves a lot ofunansweredquestions.
T h e R H C C i s questioning, what more do ouryoungstershavetodoto provetheirworth?
H o w c a n t h e s e youngsters be dominating more than others and not giventhefairopportunities?
Former first division allr
n d community activist Rafeek Kassim is one such person that is up in arms with the waythingsarebeingdone.
Kassim is asking, “How can a club be showing the most improvement across the county and Country and cannot have at least one playergettingacallup?”
He said that, “The attitude and high handed behavior of the national selectors needs to be explained and its time these persons be questioned for theiractions.
AfteralltheGCBandits selectorsdoesnotoperatein a vacuum. They have to answertostakeholders.”
Cho’sbarandGrillat11BurnhamDrive, Wismar, Linden is set to come alive on Sunday when Mark Wiltshire in collaboration with Shawn Davis and the host, stage a dominoes competition starting from 13:00hrs. Keen rivalry is expected as teams from Linden, Georgetown, West Demerara, East Bank Demerara and East
Coast Demerara are set to battle for top honours with $200,000 being added to the pot. Entrancefeeis$15,000andteamscan contactWiltshireon6598672,Davison622 7161 or Cho on 673 6453 for information relatingtoentry
The first prize is being sponsored by Cho’sbarandGrill
SportsMax - Beginning January 1, 2025, track and fieldcoachesinJamaicawill need a two-year renewable
license to continue practicing, as per the new regulations set by the Jamaica Track and Field
Coaches Association (JATAFCA)incollaboration with the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA).Thislicensingshift aligns with changes by WorldAthletics, which now
r e q u i r e s c o a c h e s ’ certification to be renewed every two years based on evidence of continued education.
The new regulations were outlined at a recent JATAFCA meeting, where Ralph Mouchbahani from the World Athletics Coaching Education Department explained the changes in the Coaches Education and Certification System Mouchbahani clarified that all World Athletics certifications, previouslyvalidindefinitely, will now expire after two years. “All certifications of WorldAthleticsarenotvalid foralifetimeanymore.They willneedtoberenewedafter two years to maintain their validity,”hesaid.
Track and field coaches in Jamaica will need a two-year renewable license to continue practicing from January 1, 2025.
Garth Gayle, President of the JAAA, welcomed the updates and expressed strong support for this structured approach to coaching. Speaking at the meeting, Gayle confirmed thattheJAAAandJATAFCA have agreed to give the Coaches Association administrative responsibility for the Coaches Education Program “The new programme is about making
you better individuals to producetop-classathletes,for whichJamaicaiswellknown worldwide,” Gayle stated, noting that the shift aims to further professionalize coachinginJamaica.Aspart ofthenewsystem,previously certified coaches must complete the World Athletics Safeguardingcourseandpaya licensefeetotransitionintothe updatedprogram Meanwhile, new coaches will need to
complete one of the various World Athletics courses to qualifyforinitialcertification All coaches, regardless of experience, will have to participate in Continuous Education (CE) to earn credits that will be required forlicenserenewal.
To accumulate these CE credits, coaches can attend workshops, seminars, and courses hosted by a variety ofrecognizedorganizations,
including World Athletics, JAAA, JATAFCA, Jamaica Association of Sports Medicine, JADCO, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Sports, INSPORTS, and other
Member Federations
Beginning in January 2026, coaches will also be required to submit a police record to renewtheirlicenses
Level2:JuniorCoach(U20)
Level3:SeniorCoach(20+)
Level 1 certification can be achieved by completing an online self-driven course, which will serve as the prerequisite for an initial license upon completion of an in-person assessment by JATAFCA The next assessment is scheduled for November 15 in Kingston, providingafinalopportunity for coaches to gain initial licensing compliance before the new regulations take effect in January Through these changes, Jamaica’s coaching landscape is set to see significant professional development, ensuring that track and field coaches across the island meet rigorous international standards.
DavidRiley,Presidentof JATAFCA, alongside veteran instructor Roy Thomas, who both recently completed the World Athletics Level 2 Lecturers Course, will oversee the rollout of the new Coaching Education Content for Jumps,Throws,Sprints,and Hurdles Riley provided insightintothenewsystem’s structure, which allows coaches to achieve World Athletics certification at three levels: Level 1: Youth C o a c h ( U 1 6 )
“We do not accept that. Forus–andalsoforGuyana – there is no overall champion.Ifwegivein,we are shortchanging our athletes,” said Aniel Ghisaidoobe, chairman of theSurinameSchoolSports Federation Foundation (SSFS), during a press moment.
The Surinamese selection is angry and disappointed in French Guiana,theorganizerofthe Inter-Guiana Games 2024, which took place from October23to26.Transport, housing, food, failure to comply with protocols and other agreements and unsportsmanlike conduct are just a few of the abuses thatoccurred.
Board member Désiré Eendragt, who was charged with counting the points, also expressed his dissatisfaction “The last wordinthishasnotyetbeen said ” Suriname and Guyana have expressed their dissatisfaction and plan to do so again during the evaluation and discussions between the
three countries It is important that matters are discussed and corrected, so that the IGS can proceed flawlesslyinthefuture.
“We were disappointed, because last year we accommodated all guests in hotels”,saidSSFSPresident
Aniel Ghisaidoobe
According to Ghisaidoobe and Eendragt, the sports event for students is too good a project to stop. It is more than just a sports project.
Therearemultiplegoals thatarebeingpursued.“Itis a collaboration between three governments. Sport is agreatinstrument,”saidthe chairman. Social goals are beingpursued.
The SSFS board regrets that things have gone this way It would not have had tocometothisiftheFrench had adhered to the protocols. There were good discussions and agreements m a d e d u r i n g t h e preparations for the event. But in the last few weeks, communication was somewhatdifficult.
Crossingandlodging
Themiserybeganonthe Friday before departure whentheFrenchreportedby email that the ferry that maintains the connection between Suriname and FrenchGuianawouldnotbe used and that Suriname itself had to make arrangements for the crossing. This was strange, becausethreedaysearlierit hadbeenpromisedbyemail thattheboattransportwould bearranged.
By acting quickly, a possibility was created to make the crossing. The day aftertheemail,Ghisaidoobe sent a group to Albina to check whether the crossing with small boats would be safe.
Based on established criteria, nine boats were eventually selected, with which the Surinamese and Guyanesedelegationscould beferried.ArrivinginSaintLaurent,itturnedoutthatno one from the organization was present to receive the selections Also, no instructions had been given to the bus drivers, which caused delays. In Cayenne,
wheretheGameswereheld, the Surinamese delegation only received information about the lodging accommodations in the evening. To the surprise of the SSFS, there were accommodations that had not been brought in before.
“We had already gone to Cayenne to inspect the locations,” Ghisaidoobe said on Tuesday “It was clearly stated then that we did not want rooms with fans,butair-conditioned.”
When it turned out after arrival that this was not the case, the Surinamese selection, after consultation with Minister Gracia Emanuël of Regional Development and Sports, immediatelyprotested.
The SSFS made it clear to the French that if the situationdidnotchange,the delegation would return to Surinameimmediately
“We were disappointed, because last year we did accommodate all the guests in hotels”, according to Ghisaidoobe. According to him,theintentionisforeach edition of the games to be
better, so the French should do better than Suriname, whichwaschargedwiththe organizationlastyear
Unsportsmanlike
TheFrenchalsofailedto adhere to the protocols and agreements during the matches. For example, the final of the indoor football match between the host country and Suriname was led by French referees, while clear agreements had been made that the lead should always be in the handsofneutralpeople.
The Guyanese who was supposed to lead the match was replaced shortly before the start of the match. This caused a lot of frustration.
The match degenerated when the French were awardedapenalty
The scoring also went wrong, because the French usedmethodsthatwereonly knowntothem.
According to the protocols,thefirstplacegets nine points, the second seven and the last five.
Suriname dominated in volleyball and chess and was always in the finals in
the other sports. Behind the table,peoplewonderedhow Suriname ended up in secondplace.
Guyana also disagreed with the French declaring
Suriname, did not sign for the final ranking The athletes also disagreed and the Surinamese swimming delegation refused the medalsinprotest.
Ghisaidoobe does not yet know what will happen. Suriname has already expresseditsdissatisfaction to the Sports Director of French Guiana and the French embassy These agencies have promised to talk things out as soon as possible.
During these talks, Suriname and Guyana will try to still resolve the dissatisfaction and work on improvements for next year’s games in Guyana. “We have to do that as quickly and as well as possible, because in 2025 it willbesixtyyearsthatthese games are organized,” said Ghisaidoobe.
Three years after returning for his fourth stint asHeadCoachoftheGolden Jaguars,JamaalShabazzhas partedwayswiththeGuyana Football Federation’s f l a g s h i p n a t i o n a l programme. On Monday, theStabroekNewsbrokethe story of the Shabazz’s exit, crediting a source close to the Senior Men’s National programme.
H o w e v e r , G F F president,WayneFordeinan interview with the Newsroom, only pointed to an ongoing discussion with Shabazzregardinghistenure withtheNationalteam.
Yesterday, the GFF officially announced Shabazz’s departure, stating that they ended their contractual engagement with the Trinidadian as the GoldenJaguarsHeadCoach.
However, speaking with Kaieteur News from Trinidad and Tobago, Shabazz,whileacceptingthe decisionoftheGFFtogoina new direction, said “The finer details of my package hasnotbeenfinalized.”
“TheGFF,withahintof arrogance, has outline what they will put (in place), but thisisnotinkeepingwiththe contract and fair play
Notwithstanding that small matter, I want to thank the
GFF for the period that we worked together,” Shabazz proclaimed.
Shabazz returned to the helm of the Golden Jaguars in September of 2021, replacing Brazilian Marcio Maximo, who parted ways with the GFF after the Concacaf Gold Cup prelims inJuly2021.
Shabazz was first appointed Guyana head coach from January 2005 to December 2008 and returnedtothepositionfrom August 2011 to November 2012.HethenledtheGolden Jaguars for 12 matches between January 2015 and October 2016 before returningthreeyearsagoand helped Guyana to an unbeatenruninLeagueBof the CONCACAF Nations League,earning,forthefirst time, promotion to League A. The GFF in its release stated that under Coach Shabazz’s leadership, the Golden Jaguars reached significant milestones that will resonate for years to come.
“Histenuresawtheteam earning promotion from LeagueBtoLeagueAinthe CONCACAF Nations League, among other achievements that have elevated Guyana’s football reputation regionally and internationally,” the GFF
said They extended gratitude to Coach Shabazz for his dedication, professionalism,andtireless commitment to advancing Guyana’s football, adding, “His work has not only strengthened the national team but has also inspired countlessyoungplayersand fansacrossthecountry.”
With Guyana set to play two crucial matches against BarbadosinNovemberfora chance to book its place in theCONCACAFGoldCup, the GFF did not name an interim coach, only stating that they are “actively seeking new leadership to guide the Golden Jaguars towards achieving our established goals in the next phaseoftheprogramme.”
Meanwhile, Shabazz says he’s not saying “saying goodbyetoGuyana.”
“I will continue to live and work in Guyana, and I intend to play a role in the social and political development of the country
I have children and Grandchildren in Guyana. I haveGuyanesechildrenand grandchildren in Guyana andGuyanaismyhome.
I don’t have to be National coach for Guyana to be my home, because it alreadyis,”theusuallyplain spoken Trinidadian coach said.
TheRedBulldriverwas hit with two 10-second penalties in Mexico on Sunday(27October),dueto separate incidents with title rival Lando Norris. Those setbacks saw Verstappen, who leads the Formula 1 drivers’ standings, finish sixth.Thoseweren’ttheonly issues for the DutchBelgian,either Verstappenwasforcedto change engines ahead of Saturday’s final practice, and although he avoided a penalty by using an engine
within his existing set of power units, he may not be so lucky in Brazil Verstappen, 27, complained abouttheperformanceofhis replacement engine on Sunday, which suggests he may need a new power unit at the Brazilian GP Such a move would cost the defending champion five placesonthegrid.
RedBulladviserHelmut Marko suggested this is a likely move, too. He told ORF:“Theenginewehadin there [for the Mexican GP] was no longer intended for the race “The older an engine gets, the more its performancediminishes[...] We saw that we were missing 3-8kph on the
straights “The penalty would be five places. That wouldn’t be so severe in Brazil, for example, where you can overtake relatively easily.”Verstappen,whohas wonthelastthreeF1drivers’ titles, served an engine penaltyattheBelgianGPin July, dropping 10 places on the grid However, he recovered from an 11thplacestarttofinishfourth.
Verstappen leads McLaren’s Norris by 47 points with four races left this year Norris finished second in Mexico, picking up 18 points compared to Verstappen’s eight for coming sixth Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took home the racewin.
BYRAWLETONEY
The ongoing saga of football development in Guyana is a deepening quagmire, entangled by the G u y a n a F o o t b a l l Federation’s(GFF)failureto implement effective programmes.
This failure has left the sportstagnantandprevented the nation’s talent from reaching its true potential. It’snotonlyaconundrumfor football in Guyana; it’s a failure with lasting consequences, frustrating fans, alienating players, and stallingthegrowthofasport that should be a national pride.
Under the watch of GFF president Wayne Forde, football in Guyana has actually digressed Fewer leaguesandtournamentsare being played, stifling opportunities for young players and diminishing the competitivelandscape.
Football is a powerful culturalandsocialforcethat unites people across backgrounds.Yet,theGFF’s continuous missteps are eroding that potential and
GFF President, Wayne Forde
corroding players’and fans’ confidence.
I’ve been penning this columninKaieteurNewsfor over two years, and each pieceonthestateoffootball feelslikearepetitivelament, because the GFF’s actions remainwoefullyinadequate.
I t ’ s n o t j u s t disappointing, it’s
disheartening Corporate Guyana,waryofassociating with the GFF’s failing leadership, hesitates to sponsor tournaments Football has taken a nose dive, and the Federation’s handling of the sport has become a cautionary tale on howtosquanderpromise.
The GFF does receive a
FIFA subvention, which undoubtedly has to stretch thinwiththeGoldenJaguars competing in various fixtures.
But what has the Federation accomplished withthisfunding?
The players who r e p r e s e n t G u y a n a internationally continue to be let down, with contracts, wages, and conditions that are far below acceptable.As much as I recognize the challenges of running a national team on limited resources,it’shardtoignore that many of the GFF’s issuesareinternal.
The GFF is structured with a General Council, which is responsible for holding the executive body accountable. Yet, where is that accountability? This leadership has failed in almost every critical aspect of football development and transparency Forde’s administration appears to make decisions without consultingkeystakeholders,
while critical issues are swept under the rugormisdirected.
Take, for instance, the case of Jam Shabazz,theMen’sNational Teamheadcoach.
p a
Sources say his removal came after concerns arose within the Federation, though specific details were withheld from the public, leading to rampant speculation.
Shabazz’s alleged departure and the handling of his exit underscore the Federation’s lack of transparency Rather than a clean, accountable decision, it feels like another scapegoat move, aimed at preserving appearances rather than addressing root issues.
Unsurprisingly, the players are reaching a breaking point. Many have reportedly written to the GFF president over owed wagesandunresolvedissues that the Federation seems unwilling to address. The upcoming matches against Barbados are crucial, but
Rawle Toney
yers have every right to demand fair compensation and respect, especially if they are expected to deliver onthefield.
Forde, for his part, has stated publicly that “Ideally, we would like to have all of our domestic players on yearly contracts where they can make a decent earning fromtheprogramme,butthe national team programme is not a programme that will giveanyplayerlivelihood.”
“You cannot plan your lifeonthenationalteam,the teamwillonlyplaysomany times a year What the national team does, it gives you exposure,” Forde said, and while that sentiment is valid,it’snotenough.
AstheGFFpresident,it’s his responsibility to provide opportunities and resources for players to thrive and this iswherehisadministration
(Continuedonpage31)
- Trinidadian coach hints to GFF not honouring contractual obligations
